


Bury the Antlers with the Stag

by Offbrand_Valk



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Jaina is trans too now i guess, Like its not really the focus, Lust to love, NB!Sylvanas, Nonbinary Character, Trans Female Character, but i don't think i would qualify it as angst y'know what i mean?, its just that Sylv needs a hug for like 9 hours, thats a genre now fight me, there's a moderate amount of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:33:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Offbrand_Valk/pseuds/Offbrand_Valk
Summary: The Alliance came about at the dawn of the information age. With everyone carrying a high definition video camera in their pocket there came a need for a strong centralized organization to keep the public unaware of the existence of vampires, werewolves and mages.Jaina Proudmoore is a powerful mage, notorious in supernatural circles across Lordaeron, and one of a select few tasked with keeping the Alliance's secrets.Sylvanas Windrunner is a park ranger with a mysterious past who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.Gay things happen between them.
Relationships: Jaina Proudmoore/Sylvanas Windrunner
Comments: 116
Kudos: 154





	1. Silver and Wolfsbane

**Author's Note:**

> It feels so weird to be posting again but I've missed it so much, hope you gays enjoy <3

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

Jaina glared at her phone. 03:23.

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

She groaned and try to muffle the noise with her pillow.

*Dudududu-dudu-

"Has Theramore been nuked?"

"No. What would-"

"Then call me in six hours." Jaina hung up, not even bothering to check who it was.

*Dudududu-dudududu-dududu-du-duuuh*

She could freeze the phone, surely the council would be willing to ignore such a small breach of the masquerade within the confines of her own home.

*Dudududu-dudududu-dududu-du-duu-

"WHAT?!"

Archmage Antonidas befuddled voice rang clear as milk. "Are you quite alright Jaina? You sound rather perturbed? Have you been eating enough red meat and legumes? A growing woman like you needs plenty of iron."

Jaina rolled her eyes, it was hard to get mad at her mentor's good-natured confusion. Hard, but very much possible coming off a 23-hour theoretical research bender. "I believe my perturbance may be related to being awoken at 3 in the morning Archmage."

"Oh my, yes that is no good, young women need their beauty sleep."

Awkward silence.

Antonidas began humming idly into the phone.

"Archmage!"

"Yes miss Proudmoore?"

"Why did you call me in the middle of the night?"

"Oh yes, I did, didn't I? hmm, please hold." Jaina swore she could hear him humming 90's bubblegum pop. "Aha! Here it is! Oh that's terribly dreadful, it appears there's been a murder."

"I'll grab my staff." Jaina groaned, trying to remember which late night coffeeshops were yet to cut her off.

The Alliance between supernatural entities in Lordaeron had been fraying at the edges from its inception. The werewolves and vampires were at each other's throat every other week it felt like, and the mages were mostly too busy smelling their own farts to even realize.

Their group was one of the things keeping the alliance together. They didn't have an official name, much less a clear job description; some called them the cleaners, others the sheriffs, Jaina had them in her phone as "book club".

A couple of minutes past 4 a lightly dented SUV in a nondescript shade of green pulled up outside Jaina's apartment. Spotting the thermo on the passenger seat, Jaina inhaled the rest of her to-go cup, and threw it on the backseat floor along with the other junk and her bag. Soon as she had clipped on her seatbelt, she unscrewed the lid of the thermo and poured herself a cup. "This is tea." She said, turning to the driver, disgust and betrayal written across her face.

"It is." Elise Starseeker looked a few years older than Jaina; she had tawny skin; a long, slender face; and besides her blueish-purple hair, always dressed like she had just returned from a march for women's suffrage. For all Jaina knew she might well have been a suffragette once upon a time, werewolf ages were weird.

"I have slept two hours."

"You can sleep in the car, it will be a long drive."

"How long are we talking?"

"Southern Silverpine."

Jaina pulled off her jacket and rolled it into a pillow with one hand as she typed out an email cancelling tomorrow's lecture with the other. "Guessing that means the reverend won't be joining us." The SUV tore off into the warm summer night, driving a couple more kilometers per hour than the law permitted.

"No, with Greymane already on the warpath, she risks not only being caught out after dawn but also getting accused of involvement."

That piqued Jaina's interest, so much so she even considered trying the tea. "Do you think Greymane's anger is related to the murder?"

"You could say that. His son is the victim."

"Ah... Antonidas forgot that little detail."

* * *

In the summer, Silverpine forest was a popular destination for family camping trips. It was far enough from any major population centers to let people live out their Bear Grylls fantasies, without being so far out that they couldn't call it quits and get a pizza. Once, while deeply intoxicated Elise had nonchalantly remarked how Greymane's pack had chosen these as their hunting ground, while Tyrande's pack mainly hunted on Teldrassil, an island that didn't even have cellphone coverage.

Elise took them to a nondescript parking lot surrounded by pines on all sides. Jaina gave quiet thanks to the Tides when she didn't see Greymane's dirty old hummer among the parked cars. While Elise stuffed useful knickknacks into a sports bag, Jaina sorted through fake IDs. With dawn already looming threateningly on the horizon, they would have to work quickly to avoid an awkward encounter with a suburban dad wielding a fishing rod and 1.8 children.

"Things just got interesting." It was probably not the right thing to say while standing over the corpse of a public figure's son, and if any member of Greymane's pack had heard they would no doubt have caused a scene. Fortunately, they had all been chased off by a sleep deprived mage threatening to pull their whiskers off.

Murders in the supernatural community had been rare since the alliance was created. Every time they had happened since then had been spur of the moment violence taken to its natural extreme. Jaina was used to crime scenes full of torn fur, punctured necks, and arcane burns. The murder of Liam Greymane on the other hand, had been premeditated.

The cause of death was clear as day, a single bullet right between the eyes. To kill a werewolf at Liam's age, even with a shot like that, it would have had to have been a silver bullet, though that did not surprise Jaina. That several vampires still had stockpiles of silvered ammunition stowed away for a rainy day was perhaps the worst kept secret in Lordaeron. With both Liam and Genn clamoring for the good old days where dogs and bats fought and killed each other every night, there was obvious means and motive. Too obvious in Jaina's opinion.

"He was trapped." Elise spoke out loud, gesturing to Liam's left leg which Jaina only now realized was knee deep in a hole, the inside of which was lined with wooden spikes. Elise poking one of the spikes gave them the missing puzzle piece as to why he hadn't transformed: they were coated in wolfsbane.

A chill ran down Jaina's spine as she realized the level of planning required to pull off this assassination. "Whoever did this, they knew what they were doing."

Elise locked eyes with Jaina and a lot of words were exchanged between them, without either of them speaking. They both loved a good mystery, Elise even more so than Jaina, and it was times like these they had to choose between business and pleasure. It was only a matter of time before the case became politicized and at the end of the day, they weren't detective; their job was to solve problems, and the problem they had been called for was evidence of a supernatural killing. The guilty, or more likely a scapegoat, they would have to leave to Alliance leadership, things became less messy that way.

Turning the silver fragments inside Liam's head to lead was exactly the kind of task that had convinced Jaina to take the job in the first place. It required the utmost concentration, surgical precision, and more than a little creative spellcasting. Meanwhile Elise went through the crime scene, to see if there was any other evidence that needed to be destroyed, her thin framed glasses teetering on the edge of her long, slim, nose. They would keep an eye on the mortal side of the investigation, but far as this crime scene was concerned, it was looking like a pretty straightforward day at work. The odds that some overworked and underpaid coroner would even notice that the wooden spikes lodged in Liam's leg had been coated with oil from a semi-obscure flower was vanishingly small, the odds that those findings would be questioned were not even worth mentioning.

If she was lucky, Jaina would be asked to lend her expertise in picking out a scapegoat, though as she headed back to the car, her main priority was returning to bed before noon.

"Out for a morning walk?"

Tidemother's wiggly cunt! And she was so close to getting through a cleanup without having to talk to strangers. Jaina took a deep breath, briefly considered making a run for the car, then turned around with a forced smile born of very little sleep and a certain someone bringing tea not coffee for a pre-sunrise drive.

The smile very quickly turned sincere, because as tired as Jaina was, she could still appreciate a pair of muscular arms barely contained by a short-sleeved work shirt. Not many people could make a park ranger uniform look sexy, but this person did it almost effortlessly. The park ranger had long white hair that flowed in gentle curls like water down a mountainside; perfect brown skin with golden undertones; an expression that fell somewhere between cocksure and threatening; a she/they pin that was probably against regulations but very helpful nonetheless; and hands with hardened skin that were definitely going to haunt Jaina once she got back to her bed. A cheap plastic necklace with a fake blue gemstone, which Jaina noticed for purely professional reasons, accentuated their very lick-able collarbone.

"Hi I'm bi." That's what she got for trying to flirt without morning coffee. "Also Jaina, that's my name, Jaina Proudmoore, bi is my sexuality. Sorry I'm not a morning person."

The park ranger quirked her lip, and yep that image was going to haunt Jaina's bedroom as well. "I'm lesbian, also Sylvanas. I'm going to need a minute of you and your partner's time." Sylvanas gestured first to her ranger cap then further down the road to where Elise's purple hair could just be seen between the tress.

"She's not my partner like that, in case you were hoping for a threesome." Jaina definitely overdid it with the wink at the end.

"Some campers heard a gunshot last night, it was probably just some boys from Gilneas shooting bottles, but I still have to spend my morning looking for witnesses in case the cops show up. Did you or your _compatriot_ see or hear anything out of the ordinary last night around midnight?"

Jaina had no idea how far sound carried in the forest at night, she had never felt the need to question why beds were invented so she played it safe. "Not that I remember. I think there was a lot of bird chatter, maybe an owl? To tell you the truth I'm not really a forest-y kind of woman."

"Very well miss Proudmoore. Unless you think I also have reason to talk to your partner I will let you be about your day." Sylvanas reached into one of the many pockets on her green vest, pulled out a little notepad on which she jotted some chicken scratch, then touched the brim of her cap in farewell.

"Before you leave, might I have your name? Your full name, you know, so we can pick this up later." Jaina had no intention on following up on their flirt no matter how much of Sylvanas' half-sleeve tattoo poked out from under her shirt. She did not mix business and pleasure, but experience had taught her it was useful to know who else might get eyes on a scene in case there was a witness who needed their credibility ruined.

Sylvanas squinted at Jaina for a painfully long moment then sighed. "I will tell you my name, that seems a fair exchange for you telling me yours yes. My name is Sylvanas Windrunner, and now I must go and see who else I can harry on this otherwise lovely morning."

 _Huh, wonder if she and Vereesa are related?_ Jaina thought to herself as she gave Sylvanas a casual wave goodbye.

* * *

Just as expected, the case turned political before midnight the next day. Greymane threw a (perhaps understandable) tantrum, pointing fingers at any vampires in sight, declaring Liadrin of all people a prime suspect, and demanding that Silverpine be closed off for all non-werewolves in blatant disregard for the tenets of the Alliance.

Varian, Tyrande, and the entire council of six had joined forces in trying to calm down Greymane, only for Lanathel to come barging in demanding that in return for whatever Greymane was doing, she be allowed to resume ritually murdering mortalss.

That was when Jaina gave up hoping the leaders of the Alliance would listen to the people they themself had put in charge of dealing with such situations and turned her attention to a paper on deep water ocean currents.

A week went by with no work and no progress on the case. Jaina asked the Council of Six if they wanted her to do some off-the-books investigation, when they didn't gave her an answer she liked, she turned to her book club. Unfortunately, they too agreed the murder of a pack leader's eldest was too public an affair to not do things by the book. Jaina briefly considered going off on her own but decided it was not worth it for the trouble she would get in where she to come up empty. With all other options exhausted, Jaina was forced to take drastic measure to sate her curiousity. She had no choice but to...

Go to the suburbs.

The Redhair-Windrunner household was an overly idyllic hellscape straight out of a 1960s housewife's wet dreams, complete with white picket fence. Jaina loved her old study buddy and partner in magecraft. But ever since a white woman named Chakra tried to feed her a "traditional Indian pasta bake" which upon further investigation had a single garlic clove as the only spice addition, Jaina had done her damnedest not to meet Vereesa on her home turf. A decision that had also significantly reduced the amount of terfs she was forced to interact with.

"Jaina! Its so good to see you!" Vereesa came running down her overlong driveway wearing a pleasantly gray cardigan and baby blue shirt against her tawny amber skin. Every time Jaina went to meet Vereesa, she worried this would be the time she caved to the pressure of the PTA and got rid of her silver hair, making it all the more meaningful for Jaina to see it swaying in the wind. Vereesa pulled her into a big, warm hug, squishing her whole cushy body against Jaina for at least minute. Nowhere near long enough as far as Jaina was concerned, not that she was touch starved or anything.

"Sorry for showing up on short notice-"

Vereesa put a playful finger on Jaina's lips. "No, whatever you're about to say it's okay. Rhonin took the boy to their grandma for the weekend, I'm making mimosas, lets see what trouble we can get into." Without further ado, she grabbed Jaina by the hand and dragged her through her huge house into her kitchen the size of Jaina's apartment.

With a wave of Vereesa's hand, fridge and cupboards swung open, glasses, orange juice, vodka and sparkling wine dancing into easy reach. "Had any interesting cases lately, or are you not allowed to talk about them?"

Jaina sipped the offered mimosa, she hadn't been one for mixed drinks before meeting Vereesa, but gradually she had broken her down to the point where she would drink it without complaint. "There's the Greymane case, that was part of the reason I came here."

"Ooh, am I suspect?" Vereesa said, sounding much too enthusiastic. Jaina had got to get her out of the suburbs more often.

"No but there's one of my witnesses who..." Jaina sighed. "Look I know this is a shot in the dark, but is there a Sylvanas in your family?"

Vereesa froze. "There is, was: my sister, she's been dead, presumed dead," Vereesa corrected herself "For 12 years."

"My condolences, must have been another Sylvanas Windrunner." Jaina felt incredibly shitty for showing up on a hunch just to drag open old wounds.

Vereesa surged forward. "What did they look like?"

"Uhm, tall, kind of lanky but very muscular, blonde hair, angular face-"

"And a tattoo on her left shoulder with three arrows? But one of the arrows is broken?" Vereesa was practically pushing her forehead against Jaina.

"I think they had some sort of sleeve tattoo on her shoulder, they didn't exactly have bare arms."

"Please, there must be something more you remember?"

Jaina wracked her brain for any details that stood out. "She wore a necklace with a blue gemstone, I think it was plastic, like the sort you would find in a cereal box."

"Excuse me." Vereesa whimpered, then without another word ran out of her own kitchen.

Jaina found Vereesa sobbing in her bedroom, clutching a cheap plastic necklace with a red gemstone. Her dresser had been torn open, clothes and other paraphernalia thrown haphazardly to the floor, to get to the box that was now sitting next to Vereesa on the bed. She looked up at Jaina as she entered and held out the necklace like an offering. "Alleria got these for us when we were kids."

Jaina took the offered necklace, Vereesa let the chain slip slowly through her fingers as if unwilling to fully let go. It was a simple piece of brass colored plastic, the "chain" was plastic beads molded on to a string, the "gem" was just semi-transparent colored plastic. Now that she had it in her hand Jaina could see the little teeth jutting out under the gemstone, allowing it to be clicked together with others like it. "Who is Alleria."

Vereesa sniffled, Jaina conjured mana tea for the both of them. "She was my sister, my other sister."

Jaina gave her best friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Why don't you take it from the beginning?"

"There were four of us, Alleria was the oldest by four years, then Sylvanas and a year later me, Lirath came last, nine years after me. We knew when he was born that we wouldn't have Lirath forever, his lungs had never fully formed but he was a fighter." Vereesa took a deep ragged breath. "He made it three years and eight months, it was about as good as we could have hoped for and we knew it was coming, so it wasn't as bad as the others."

"The others?"

Vereesa made an ugly choking sound. "Alleria joined the army the day she turned 18, she wanted to be like mom, we all did. It was during a training mission to Icecrown, her unit missed their check-in. The army spent 2 weeks looking up and down that mountain for them, and when they left, we stayed behind right up until they threatened mom with dishonorable discharge. We'd go back every vacation to look for her, I told my classmates we were going skiing." Vereesa stopped to laugh, it sounded like a woman on her way to the gallows. "I used to dream about finding her in a cave, having lived off berries and mushrooms year after year but unable to find her way down. Other times I dreamed she would just come walking up the drive way, throw her boots in the hallway and start drinking milk from the carton as if she'd just been on a weekend trip to Stranglethorn. I sometimes still dream about that."

Jaina gave her space to weep into her tea, she had known there was history behind how little she talked about her past, she just hadn't thought it would be _this._ "We were still in high school when we lost mom on deployment, it hit dad the hardest and then it was just me and Sylvanas spending every spare gold piece on flights to Northrend. We stopped looking for Alleria and started looking for her corpse but still no luck. Finding Alleria had become Sylvanas whole life, she didn't talk about anything else, didn't work, didn't study, barely ate and slept; when we weren't away, she was mapping out search areas, or emailing local police departments. One morning, years later, it just became too much, I told her what we both knew, that we would never find her and that this was all just a stupid excuse to avoid grieving. We yelled at each other for what felt like hours, eventually Sylvanas walked off on her own. You're not supposed to let others do that, but I was angry."

Vereesa began sobbing uncontrollably again. "I went after her. I caught glimpses of her, climbing between the crags, scaling the mountainside. I heard her scream, saw her rope snap, and then..." The last few words came in a pained struggle for air. "She was gone... I climbed down after her, of course I did. There were so many spikes, but no Sylvanas, no blood, just her phone sticking out of the snow like it had been left for me." Vereesa looked Jaina dead in the eyes. "She couldn't have survived that fall, but she wasn't there, wasn't anywhere."

Jaina went to hug Vereesa, but she pushed her away. "Please, I need to tell this all the way through, I haven't done that before." Jaina nodded, then gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"When I came home, me and dad buried two empty coffins, one on each side of mom, and we haven't talked since then, not like family. The emptiness I felt was what lead me to magic, I thought it could be the clue I needed to get closure, but I was too afraid to ever return and find out. All this time she was alive, and now she's living here."

"I take it you don't want me to set up a meeting then?" It was a completely inappropriate, not to mention bad joke, and Jaina wanted to put her head through a wall for saying it.

"Part of me wishes I hadn't found out." Vereesa was quiet for several long moments, but making it clear she had more to say. "Do you want to order pizzas and watch period dramas with me?"

Jaina did, but not as much as she wanted to find out what the fuck Sylvanas deal was with disappearing on her sister like that, and whether it was hypocritical of her to still want to sleep with them after hearing that story.


	2. A series of exhausting events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: this chapter is going to contain some... enthusiastic petting. It's not porn per say but probably not ideal to read with an elderly family member looking over your shoulder.

Fully caffeinated and in the light of day Silverpine forest wasn't actually too bad. It was still a forest mind you, with way too many bugs shitty cellphone reception, and not a bathroom in sight. But if you could ignore all those factors, it had its charms Jaina told herself.

Okay charm, singular, their name was Sylvanas Windrunner, and Jaina was definitely pushing the envelopes of things she was allowed to do without council permission in going to talk to her. Though that didn't bother Jaina.

What did bother Jaina was finding a polite way to say "Hey, you're incredibly hot and I absolutely want you to rail me so hard I merge with the floorboards, but you also happen to be my best friend's long lost sister and I kind of want to know what is up with that even though it really isn't my place to ask."

Jaina hadn't exactly had an illustrious love life, which certainly wasn't helping matters either. She could flirt well enough, she was even kind of good at. Going from flirting into actual intimacy, or hell even just making out in the bathroom, that was another matter entirely, and one having dated nobody but Kalecgos in 35 years of life had not prepared her for.

Of course, before Jaina needed to worry about any of that, she first had to find the forest enby of her dreams. Jaina had really thought there would be some sort of tower they would be sitting in and watching out for wildfires or whatever. This was why Jaina preferred the open sea, the only thing blocking her view there was the curvature of the earth, not to mention there were LESS FUCKING BUGS.

Jaina finally found Sylvanas scraping up moss by the edge of a stream. Their leg muscles bulged against their cargo shorts as they squatted, and if Jaina wasn't already sweating bullets, she was now. She cleared her throat; afraid her voice would betray her once more.

Sylvanas stood up and turned around with a dancer's grace. Her eyes travelled slowly up Jaina's body, lingering for a long moment on her chest. Jaina mentally cheered herself for remembering to wear her lowest cut tank top. Her tits might be on the verge of spilling out, but the way things were going that was not an inherently bad outcome. "I was hoping I'd see you again."

Tides protect Jaina, had their voice gotten more rugged since last week? "Really?" The words jumped out before she could think about them. "I mean... The feeling is mutual."

Sylvanas picked up her rucksack and gestured for Jaina to follow her. "I usually don't." She mulled over her words for a long second. "Interact positively with people. I've been told I have a _prickly personality_."

"I can't imagine that's true."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Well you haven't known me for very long, and I'm on my best behavior with you."

"For the time being you have been very pleasant company, you didn't have to humor me."

"Humor you? Jaina have you looked yourself in the mirror recently? Because I would kill to be smothered to death by those thighs."

Jaina suddenly had to check her phone very badly and very closely.

"Did I overstep? Sorry I'm out of practice."

"No it was... It was nice, just, very forward. I liked it."

"Don't look now or you're going to ruin my carefully constructed tough enby persona."

"If it helps, my only relationship was during my freshman year and it was with the blandest man you have ever seen."

"I don't know, as a lesbian, I have met a lot of bland men, what made this one special."

"He once complained about a potato salad being too spicy."

Sylvanas laughed, it was a strange sound, like gravel in an old engine that had been forgotten in the back of a dusty garage. "Gorgeous, what else did he do?"

"Truth be told I can't remember, he mostly just sat around my dorm hall demanding attention and annoying everyone in a 50-meter radius with his presence."

"I would have broken his nose"

"Oh but it gets worse, he dumped me for a skinny girl with bleach blonde hair who claimed to be the physical manifestation of an ancient pool of sunlight."

"Let me guess, he had a dragon tattoo? Guys like that always have a dragon tattoo."

"No, but he wanted one, it was literally his only personality trait."

They walked through the forest in comfortable silence. Jaina was too caught up in enjoying Sylvanas quiet presence to even register how fatigued she was getting. In one day she had done more walking than she usually did in a week, but she didn't mind at all.

"Can we stop here?" Sylvanas said, gesturing to a shelter by a small lake.

"Yes please, my feet are killing me." The fact that Jaina's first thought was that this was an ideal place to commit murder was a worrying sign of how much her work was getting to her. Once she moved past that, the lake was nice, small and dark, surrounded by tall pines, it almost reminded her of the ocean on quiet nights.

Sylvanas put down her rucksack and pulled out a couple of empty vials. "I have to take a few samples, we're tracking the ph. of all the lakes in the forest."

Jaina swore she felt her panties slide an inch or two down her legs. "Will you also be measuring the saline levels?"

"We would if we could afford them, but the ph. measures are cheaper so that's all the county is giving us." Sylvanas said with ill-disguised anger.

"Do you have a camera phone?" Jaina got up in spite of her aching feet and walked over to crouch next to Sylvanas.

"Yes, who doesn't?" With that Sylvanas produced an old and severely dented iphone that had no business still working.

"Take pictures of the algae, once you have the ph. levels you can use the type and spread to get an approximation of the saline levels. There's a ton of tables online if you just google for a bit."

"Clever." Sylvanas nodded their approval.

"I don't want to brag."

Sylvanas chuckled "you sound like you want to brag."

"Well, I am most of the way to a PhD"

"Cool, should have guessed you were one of those passionate types."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaina was pretty sure it wasn't a flirt.

Sylvanas shrugged. "Nothing, just that you like what you do, whereas I took this job cause I didn't have to talk to people."

Ice ran down Jaina's spine as she feared she'd overstayed her welcome. "Sorry."

Sylvanas squeezed her hand. "No worries, you're not people, you're a hottie."

"A hottie? Seriously? What year is this."

"What can I say? I was trapped inside a nightmare dimension, kept in a state between life and death for a hundred lifetimes. What do you call people you want to have sex with nowadays?"

They both laughed, then Jaina got an idea. "Of late, I've been calling them Sylvanas."

Sylvanas looked at her with hunger in her eyes. "That's funny, just today I started calling them Jaina."

"I have some ideas as to why we can't get dates."

"Too hot for the general market?" Sylvanas said, suddenly very close.

"Yeah that."

Jaina walked back to the shelter and drank the last of her water in hopes it would cool her down. Sylvanas returned to taking water samples. The silence was pleasant but the tension was choking.

It must have been the shelter guarding her from the cold wind because suddenly Jaina was feeling very warm. A little voice in the back of her mind told her to just go for it and take her top off, the only one who would see was Sylvanas. Was that an appropriate way of flirting?

Maybe if she just took her flannel off? Surely that wouldn't have Sylvanas brand her a harlot? What if Sylvanas was into harlots? Did anyone besides her dad still unironically use the term harlot?

Sylvanas looked up at the exact moment Jaina opened her mouth to speak. "So..." They said in almost perfect unison.

"When does your shift end?" Jaina said after Sylvanas gestured for her to speak first.

"When I want it to. I'm ostensibly on the clock for as long as I'm wearing this uniform." Sylvanas pulled on their tie as they walked towards the shelter.

"Want to put our money where our mouths are?" Jaina toyed with the hem of her tank top.

"I would much rather put my mouth where your thighs meet." Sylvanas climbed on top of her, their shirt mostly undone revealing a jagged scar that reached from just above their bellybutton to where the blue toy necklace danced enticingly between their minuscule breasts. They gently grabbed the hem of Jaina's top and looked deep into her eyes. "May I?"

"Please." Jaina often felt guilty about using magic to make her boobs larger, she had been at the end of her transition and insecure about having a big tummy but flat chest and decided to even the playing field. The look Sylvanas gave her made all that shame burn away like ice on the sun.

"You're a goddess." Sylvanas more moaned than spoke.

Jaina moved forward and placed a kiss just below the scar. "You're not half bad yourself."

Sylvanas gently pushed Jaina backwards, planting kisses that started on her neck and moved down one centimeter at a time. They placed a hand on Jaina's left breast at the same time their lips closed around her right nipple.

Jaina gasped and ran her fingers through Sylvanas hair.

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

"Are you kidding me?"

Sylvanas stopped their ministrations which was the last thing Jaina wanted. "Let it ring."

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

"I can't its work." Jaina gently pushed Sylvanas off her, sat up, and tried to pull her phone free of her too tight pants.

"How do you know that?"

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

"Who else makes phone calls?" Jaina said, then accepted the call without fully registering who was on the other end. "It's me, I'm out of office." There was an affirmative grunt at the other end, signaling that Jaina's usage of the code for "mortals could be listening" had been understood. Said mortal however was much too caught getting her hands back on Jaina's breast, something she sadly had to decline.

"How fast can you get to northeastern Tirisfal, we've got an urgent client and need all hands." It was Elise, she sounded tense.

Jaina groaned, and not the pleasant kind. "Are you serious I'm in southern Silverpine."

"Jaina?" there was a warning to Elise' tone, Jaina knew what she was thinking.

"Not because of that, I was about to get laid."

"Sure, lets say that. Text me when you're on the train and we'll pick you up in Brill."

Jaina turned to Sylvanas who was trying her hardest not to look like they'd just gotten clitblocked hard. "I won't embarrass myself to pleading, but will you at least let me walk you to your car?"

Jaina blushed, mostly because she realized she'd almost gotten laid in the woods by an enby she barely knew. "I don't have one, but maybe you could help me find a bus stop."

Sylvanas smiled as they put their bra back in its' place over their bee sting that Jaina was really regretting not getting a chance to lick. "I'll do you one better and drive you to the station, Gilneas is the closest from here."

"That would be lovely." Jaina said and begrudgingly pulled her top back on. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sylvanas reach for their tie and feeling suddenly mischievous she snatched it out of their hands and put it around her own neck. "Consider this a deposit, you'll get it back once you finish the job."

Trying to sexily twirl a plain brown tie was no easy feat, but it had the desired effect on Sylvanas who took three tries before finally getting words out. "For the record, that's technically theft of government property, but I won't call it in, on one condition."

Jaina's heart was suddenly beating fast. "Which is?"

Sylvanas lips was an inch from Jaina's, their eyes were seductive like the ocean. "That I get to take you on a proper date."

Jaina had really been gunning for a kiss, but this she could work with. "Okay, just don't make me wear heels, it won't be pretty."

"With you in it, anything would look gorgeous."

Jaina choked on air.

* * *

There were exactly two things in Northeastern Lordaeron: one mountains, two the Scarlet Monastery, and Jaina was really hoping it was the former. The Scarlet Crusade was a cult that had sprung from the church of the Light, which just wasn't quite militantly queerphobic enough for them. They were simultaneously incredibly secretive and openly kidnapping homeless teens for indoctrination. Had it not been for their founder, a vampire named Sally Whitemane with the rare ability to walk in daylight, supplying the distinguished palettes of every other powerful vampire in Lordaeron, even the Alliance would have imposed sanctions on her.

The last member of their trio, Liadrin, picked Jaina up at Brill station. She was a tall woman, with a pronounced jaw, brown monolided eyes, a bodybuilder's physique, and a fashion sense somewhere between Red Sonya and a nun. Of course, since nothing good ever happened, the first thing she told Jaina when she picked her up was that they were going to the Monastery. Jaina legitimately considered poisoning herself to get out of the case, but her curiosity won out.

Normally when they approached a scene, murder or otherwise, Jaina and her book club knew more or less what to expect. They might not know all the details, as was the case with Liam Greymane's murder, but they would at least know what sort of supernatural event had occurred, and how many needed to be shut up. Not so with the Scarlet Crusade, all they knew was that something had happened which according to the tenets of the Alliance required their intervention, and to ask for Thalnos. What the tides kind of name was Thalnos anyways?

Thalnos it turned out was a scrawny man with sunken in eyes and skin so pale it was practically graying. He greeted the three of them at the gate looking both bereaved and befuddled yet still finding it in his heart to sneer at Jaina. "We had not seen the mistress for several days. She had closed the doors to the chapel which we knew to mean she was personally tending to a sinner's repentance and did not want our virgin eyes to suffer for it. The mistress does so much good for us."

Thalnos began weeping and Jaina desperately wanted to see if lighting his overpriced suit on fire would make him snap out of it. One look at Liadrin angrily caressing her bag of weapons told Jaina she was having very similar thoughts, so it fell on Elise to be the adult and firmly shake him. "Why don't you tell us what happened, and we can take care of the rest ourselves."

"We do not question the mistress methods, for she is the purest and brightest among us, but we did wonder, and tomorrow is Sunday mass so we peeked inside. Oh what dread, oh what horror. The mistress, blessed be her memory is... with the Light now!" Thalnos began crying again, giving Jaina, Elise and Liadrin the perfect opportunity to discretely high five.

Good things truly did come to those who wait.

Thalnos, after composing himself a second time led the book club through the winding halls of the monastery, doing his utmost to steer them clear of the "crusaders" for fear his church would come crashing down around him.

Jaina could not in a million years have come up with a better metaphor for Sally Whitemane's cult than the Scarlet Cathedral. The chapel grounds were old stones cold from the horrors they had seen. Teenagers toiled away in the gardens, their hearts and minds too drained to resist. The chapel itself meanwhile had gold plated doors, and a secondary entrance leading directly to the baths, in case her holiness felt hungry but did not want to leave her jacuzzi.

The entire experience really helped build excitement for seeing Whitemane's now properly lifeless body lying on the floor of her own church, a stake through her shriveled heart.

Killing a vampire was no easy task, while they didn't have a werewolf's bulletproof hide, the disconnect between body and mind meant that anything short of complete destruction of the body was really more of an inconvenience. The only reliable way to off a vampire without needing werewolf strength or military grade weaponry was burning them with sunlight or jamming a sharpened length of wood through their heart. Whitemane being as old as she was would have made her an especially dangerous target, Liadrin was a third of her age and Jaina had seen her lift a car over her head. If rumor was to be believed she was also a very capable blood mage with no shortage of blood to use.

"How in Elune's name did anyone pull this off?" Elise said what Jaina was thinking. The only signs of a struggle was a broken window looking over out over the mountains below. A window that had been broken outwards.

"Must have been whoever she meant to torture right? This place is both a fortress and a maze, you're not getting in here unseen without a squad of elite operatives and a shadow mage." Jaina would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed.

"You say that as if Whitemane don't have enemies who could field those kinds of assets. I have no love for her, but you don't get to be 1500 years old by being a messy eater." Liadrin spoke over her shoulder as she inspected Whitemane's corpse, especially the several brutal wounds in her chest area. "It took the attacker several tries to hit the heart, they must have incapacitated her in some way."

"Rice." Elise said, gesturing to a small pile of the stuff that had been hidden under Whitemane's robe.

"I thought that was just a myth?" Jaina looked to Liadrin, this was her area of expertise.

"It doesn't work on all vampires, but as you get older you start to acquire, quirks. There's a reason you have never seen Varian Wrynn cross running water."

Jaina made a mental note of that then returned to the task at hand. "So our attacker came prepared, do we suspect there is a relation to our last case?" Elise and Liadrin both shook their heads and Jaina was hard pressed to disagree with that assessment. Greymane did not have the subtlety for this to have been revenge, and the only thing they had in common besides names was annoying Jaina personally.

With no more clues forthcoming, the trio split the work between them: Jaina would stay behind and make the scene fit for mortal eyes; Liadrin would go collect witness testimonies and silence mortals as needed; lastly Elise would go looking for Whitemane's pet meathead Renault Mograine who was mysteriously absent.

Jaina spent some time surveilling the altar, trying to decide how best to desecrate a "holy" woman's corpse. Passing off the stake wounds as from a knife was out of the question, performing healing magic on a vampire, especially a dead vampire was basically a PhD on to itself, not to mention Jaina would much rather Sally Whitemane didn't get an open casket funeral.

When Jaina stumbled upon the soundproof confession booths an idea took root. She put some music on to keep her company while she worked, left the window broken and dragged Whitemane's corpse by the arms across the cathedral and arranged it into a sitting position in the priest side of the confessional. Next she grabbed a shotgun from Liadrin's "toolbox" and with a spring in her step made her way back to the penitent side of the confessional. Jaina pulled the separator aside to line up her aim, put it back in place, then send a spray of lead through it.

The shot had been a little high so while Whitemane's jaw was fortunately mangled beyond recognition, you could still see the circular outline of where a stake had been inserted if you looked hard enough. Jaina begrudgingly turned off her music so she could focus on her work. One shot would have been ideal, two shots was a excessive but acceptable, anything more than that and people were going to ask question.

She sat back down in the penitent booth, making sure to steady her aim the way Liadrin had taught her. Deep breath in, look down the sights, finger on the trigger. Then, just as Jaina was about to fire, she heard it. A low, thumping sound coming from behind what Jaina believed to be a solid brick wall.

Sensing a mystery, Jaina put the shotgun down and left the confessional. After a bit of searching she found an inconspicuous card reader painted to look like part of the woodwork. A quick dig through Whitemane's pockets, and wouldn't you know it, a keycard. Swiping the keycard made the confessional move aside and reveal a wrought iron door behind it.

The banging got much louder now there was no secret door to muffle it.


	3. Dead(?) girl walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I completely derail the plot for 3/4ths of a chapter to talk about a character who won't come up again for another 8-10 chapters.
> 
> CW for allusions to torture, and descriptions of inhumane imprisonment as well as moderately graphic violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on Sylvanas' gender in this fic. They identify as a nonbinary lesbian and use both she/her and they/them pronouns, which is why I tend to swap back and forth from paragraph to paragraph. She doesn't prefer one set of pronouns over the other, and while they are generally okay with being referred to with feminine titles (wife, sister, daughter etc.) she does not want to be called a woman.
> 
> I don't know if anyone find this interesting, but I don't see myself including a gender talk (tm) in this fic, so figured I might as well use this space for clarification.

Jaina looked through the window in the iron door and gasped. A young woman, no more than 16 years old was locked in a cage in the room beyond the door. Her skin was deathly pale and clung to her bones; her hair was dirty-blonde, long and uncombed; her cage was meant for dogs, forcing her to curl up. The banging sound was her throwing her body against the side of the cage and screaming against her gag.

In Jaina's estimation there was an 85% chance that forcing open the door would trigger some sort of alarm, but seeing the girl collapse breathlessly did not give Jaina the patience to figure out what that was. "Don't worry kid, I'm getting you out." Taking a quick look around to verify there were no cameras around, which of course there wasn't, because Scarlet Crusade, she pulled out her staff and blew the door off its hinges.

Quickly disappearing her staff, Jaina rushed inside, nearly tripping over her own legs. The girl looked ready to cry, and before she began freeing her, Jaina reached through the bars to caress her face. "You're okay kid, rescue has arrived."

A small padlock kept the cage closed and a slim chain reached from a pair of handcuffs to the wall. Jaina looked around in vain for something other than magic to break her free with. The kid just whimpered, until Jaina pulled out the gag at which point she started crying. "Look at me." The girl did as instructed. "What's your name?"

The girl struggled to form words, eventually whispering out "Lillian."

Jaina squeezed her hands. "Okay Lillian, you have to be strong just a little longer. Just for long enough that I can find something to break you free with."

Lillian nodded but didn't say anything. Jaina caught her eyes. "Can you be strong Lillian?" She shook her head and dry heaved. "I have a toolbox just outside this room. Start counting and I'll be back before you reach 60"

Jaina had no time to contemplate whether she was babying Lillian, as she suddenly began counting in her raspy voice "One... Two... Three..."

Liadrin's toolbox/sports bag had actually been stashed by the entrance to the cathedral so they wouldn't stumble over it, and Jaina was by no means a runner. Still it felt like a blur from leaving that cell to pulling out a battery driven angle grinder from beneath a machete and a stack of smoke grenades.

Somehow, in those short moments, four Scarlet Crusade goons wearing polo shirts had arrived by the entrance to the confessional; one of them had picked up the shotgun Jaina had left by the door. "Ma'am we have to ask that you do not needlessly meddle in church affairs."

The goon with the shotgun aimed it at her, before one of his colleagues slapped it down. Jaina smiled, they knew who she was, which meant she no longer had to worry about breaking the masquerade. "I'm going to count to three, and you're going to be gone one way or another."

The goons looked at each other in confusion, Jaina marched forward undeterred. "One." She wasn't a fan of violent solutions, but she didn't have a problem with them either.

The goon at the back and to the left was awkwardly teetering towards the exit, while the one holding Liadrin's shotgun was trying to figure out how to disable the safety. "Two."

A small, imperceptible burst of magic confirmed what Jaina suspected: they were dhampirs – incomplete vampires whom people like Whitemane used as servants. Had they been proper vampires, four against one might have been a problem; four dhampirs however, even four made with Whitemane's blood, that was just a workout. "Three."

Jaina blinked forward, unleashing a cone of cold that would have killed mere mortals. Turning to the dhampir holding the shotgun, she froze his arms solid then tore the shotgun free of his brittle fingers with a telekinetic pull. Meanwhile another dhampir had recovered and tried to jump her. She smacked her with the rifle butt, then pinned her to a wall with an icicle through the shoulder.

Two shots took care of the dhampirs who had been too slow to recover. The one with the shattered fingers she had considered letting off easy until he bared his fangs and tried to snap at her. If anything, Jaina felt sorry for the nice parquet floor she was ruining by blowing his brains out over it. At last she turned to the dhampir trying to pull the icicle out of her shoulder. "Are you going to behave?"

The dhampir screamed and spat in her face. "Sinners like you have no right to-"

"Shame." Jaina smashed her windpipe, then made the ice disappear, leaving no signs of magic behind.

"Eighty-one... Eighty-two..." The words came out of Lillian's mouth like she was being strangled by them. "Eighty-three... Eighty-"

"I'm here! I'm here." Jaina took Lillian's face in her hands once more. "I'm getting you out okay? Hold still." Lillian nodded and Jaina started up the angle grinder; Liadrin always bought quality gear and it cut through the lock like a carving knife. Lillian fell forward and Jaina held her close for as long as she dared before carefully using the angle grinder on the handcuffs.

Finally free, Jaina helped Lillian on to stumbling feet. Jaina shuddered to think how long she had been kept in there. "Do you have anything we need to get before we leave?"

Lillian shook her head, Jaina grabbed her phone and opened a groupchat. "Change of plan, need a stealthy exit."

* * *

Lilian scarfed down fries like a starving wolf, the döner that had come with it had disappeared within literal seconds of being put in front of her. "Do you think we should get her a second portion?" Liadrin said, standing a healthy distance from the bus stop where Elise and Lillian were sitting. Of the three of them, Elise was the only one who was any good with children, she even led a troupe of cub scouts on Thursdays.

"Probably a soda as well." Jaina saw the hungry looks Lillian was sending the blob of ranch on the packing paper.

With Lillian occupied with a second döner and tray of fries, Elise stood up and walked the few steps over to Jaina and Liadrin. "What's the plan?"

Jaina awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, she didn't really have one beyond getting Lillian out of the crusade's clutches. Whitemane or not it was clear that whatever Lillian had done that had so offended them, they would not take her escape lightly.

"My church can't take her, we're too friendly with the crusade, someone will tell." Liadrin looked genuinely ashamed of the answer she had to give.

"I live in an inner-city apartment, she would be going from one cage to another." Jaina had moved on to anxiously scratching the back of her hand, she had an idea where this was going and she didn't like it.

Elise was tossing and turning the options in her head before sighing in defeat. "I barely have room for me and my sister, we can't take a third person."

"What about-"

Elise cut Jaina off "We kill strangers who wash up on Teldrassil, Tyrande is not going to take in a stray, least of all someone not blessed by Elune."

Liadrin and Jaina sent her a look that spoke a thousand words, though Elise only needed one to answer. "No. I am not biting her, the girl has enough problems without adding lycanthropy to the mix."

"Shit." Jaina said and the other two nodded in agreement.

They looked at each other, then at Lillian sucking down orange soda like a baby with a bottle. "Do we just leave her then?" Elise shuddered as soon as she spoke the words.

"I have 200 gold stashed away for a rainy day" Jaina would just have to hope her laptop remained functional for another year or two.

"I can get her some clothes from the donation bin, they won't be pretty but she will prefer to a Scarlet Crusade jumpsuit."

"I still have my old phone, it's got decent battery life but not much more than that."

"We could bring her to Gilneas, the Crusade wouldn't be able to move on her without Greymane declaring it an act of war." Jaina had to stop herself from cheering out loud at Liadrin's idea; for once alliance ineffective leadership came in useful.

Elise however still had grimmer concerns. "Who will break the bad news to her?"

Jaina straightened her shoulders. "I will do it, it's only right."

Lillian was still sitting where they had left her, fighting for all her worth to get rid of her second serving of fries, and looking more than a little sick from it. She looked up at Jaina as she approached "You have been much too kind to me miss, its more than a monster like me could ever deserve."

Jaina cautiously squeezed her hand. "You're not a monster Lillian, no matter what they told you." This was not going to make the next part easier.

"Look at me! My skin is rotting, my body is stitched together, my fingers are." Lillian held her hands up in front of Jaina's face, revealing her nails ready to fall off. "What am I if not a monster?"

"A person who is not at fault for the very cruel things that were done to her." _and were about to be done to her_ Jaina thought to herself.

"Easy for you to say." Lillian soured and poked her few remaining fries.

"I know... Doesn't make it untrue though."

Was there really no way Jaina could fit Lillian into her life? Yes she was horrible with children, and she probably couldn't afford to support her, much less fit an extra bed into her shoebox apartment. The Crusade would probably find her right away as well, and then Jaina would suddenly be implicated and at risk of losing her job.

And when the chips were down, Jaina had done her good deed. She'd gotten Lillian free at risk to herself, she wasn't leaving her with nothing. Jaina wasn't aiming for sainthood, and neither was Liadrin or Elise.

"Listen Lillian, we're going to be picking you up a few things, but then we're going to have to leave you on your own. Unless you have somewhere you can go, we'll be dropping you off in a small town named Gilneas – it's not a friendly place, and you'll need to look out for yourself, but the Crusade isn't going to come looking for you there." Lillian didn't have a place to go, kids that ended up with the Scarlet Crusade never did.

* * *

Being one of the Alliances designated problem solvers was not the kind of job you chose because it left you feeling warm and fuzzy, or because it made the world a better place. Jaina did it because it secured sizeable biannual donation from an anonymous benefactor to Dalaran University's marine studies department; and because she enjoyed the challenges it came with. It wasn't the first time they had gone beyond the brief, wouldn't be the last time either, and Jaina doubted she would suffer even a slap on the wrist for her "unconventional methods".

The worst part of leaving Lillian on a park bench in Gilneas had been the look she sent them. She just sat there, completely motionless like some overgrown Victorian orphan seeing her new parents' house burn down in front of her eyes. No denial, no anger or bargaining, just straight to acceptance; one hand holding a backpack full of used clothes, the other clutching a folded bundle of notes as slim as the old smartphone in her pocket.

Having deepthroated a sausage roll and dumped her clothes somewhere in the vicinity of her hamper, Jaina climbed into bed ready for a solid three hours of sleeping and/or crying, before she had to get up and teach a class.

Experience had taught her to set the alarm before fully committing to a crying session, and in doing so she saw a single text message having ticked in on her private phone.

Sylvanas (23:27) I don't want to impose, but I hope your emergency work turned out less awful than you expected.

Jaina usually relied on "conceal don't feel" as her primary tool for processing emotions, but suddenly her fingers were moving on their own.

Jaina (04:12) It was much worse.

_Sylvanas is typing..._

Jaina (04:12) Shit did I wake you up?

Sylvanas (04:13) Couldn't sleep, would you like to talk about work?

Jaina (04:13) I can't say much...

Sylvanas (04:13) what can you say?

Jaina (04:17) Have you ever been asked by your work to ignore an evil deed, then tried to stop it, only to realize the best you could do was soften the blow?

Sylvanas (04:19) Jaina, I check for mudslides and pour water on abandoned single-use grills, it's not the kind of work that challenges my moral character.

Jaina (04:19) Well I have, and it sucks.

Sylvanas (04:19) I can imagine.

Sylvanas (04:21) Would seeing my strap help?

Jaina chuckled to herself, this was more inside her comfort zone.

Jaina (04:21) Yes please 😇

Sylvanas (04:23) [Image Sent]

Before she had even opened the message, Jaina's fingers were already playing along the outside of her panties, feeling her clit harden slightly.

It was a picture of Sylvanas backpack, with a circle drawn around the shoulder straps.

Sylvanas (04:24) What do you think

Jaina (04:24) oh my tides!!

Sylvanas (04:25) Do you like it?

Jaina (04:25) And here I was going to send you a picture of my tits...

Sylvanas (04:25) No worries, I've got you covered.

Sylvanas (04:26) [Image Sent]

Jaina already knew what it was going to be before opening, and was not disappointed. She had never really taken an interest in photography, nor any other creative media for that matter; as a kid her mom had tried to teach her to play the piano, and it had forever ruined the arts for her. Even then Jaina had to admit it was a pretty nice picture, the twilight spilled through the trees creating a halo around the bird that was both grim and radiant.

Jaina (04:26) I like it, did you take it yourself?

Sylvanas (04:27) Yes, all those nature hikes have made me pretty good at spotting animals.

Jaina (04:28) Makes sense

So maybe Jaina wasn't exactly the best at keeping a conversation going, sue her.

Sylvanas (04:35) Sorry about the clit tease by the way, sexting isn't for me, too impersonal

Jaina (04:35) No complaints here, this was nearly as fun as an orgasm.

Sylvanas (04:36) You must have had some shitty orgasms

Jaina (04:36) Comes with sleeping with men

Sylvanas (04:37) Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the issue is a lack of cumming

Jaina (04:37) OMT

Sylvanas (04:39) With your permission I would like to right this wrong some time.

Jaina (04:40) I'm not opposed to that idea

Sylvanas (04:48) Would you forgive me if I wanted to take you on a date.

Jaina paused to look across the room to her aquarium, and consult her pet sea anemone Sponge. He fluttered idly but remained otherwise motionless. She hadn't thought about the thing between them as anything but sexual. A date didn't have to change that, it just made Jaina realize how long it had been since somebody cared about her like that, and that caught her off guard. Jaina nodded to the aquarium, thanking Sponge for his wisdom.

Jaina (04:55) If you want to

Jaina (04:55) Just don't, take me anywhere without running water

Sylvanas (04:56) How do you feel about queer punk bars?

Jaina (04:56) Never been to one, but I'm sure it beats a chain restaurant

Sylvanas (04:58) It really is all men huh?

Jaina (04:59) Yep, the exceptions are usually smart enough to become women or get rid of their gender altogether

Sylvanas (04:59) Friday next week? Finders Keepers is playing at The Deadmines

Jaina (05:00) Sounds good

Sylvanas (05:02) See you then, I'll go make some breakfast

Jaina (05:04) It's a date, I'll try to get some sleep

Jaina had never heard of that band before, nor really anything that would qualify as "queer punk" but she had a week to study and if there was one thing Jaina was good at it was studying. Assuming she survived having to teach a lecture in 3 hours and 9 minutes followed by a meeting with her department head, and another with archmage Modera in short order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is the end of my prewritten chapters, and because of *gestures vaguely* I imagine the rate of new chapters being posted will slow down significantly. My goal is at least one new chapter a month, but like, it could really go either way.  
> *screams into a pillow*


	4. What do you wear to a queer punk bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jaina and Sylvanas goes on a date and everything goes fine :V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning for deadnaming, sex/intimacy related trauma, and references to sexual assault
> 
> There's also a fair bit of, what was the word I used in chapter 2? "heavy petting"? Anyways they get their tits out and smooch loads so if you're reading on a work computer thats your fault.
> 
> Also if anyone was wondering, I imagine the music that plays in Deadmines kind of sounds like [Bassline Bitch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-2XUOAufLQ) by Nova Twins, even though I'm not sure they technically qualify as a noisecore band.

The last outfit Jaina remembered feeling genuinely sexy and confident in, was a crop top + long skirt combo she used to wear 15 years ago. Back then she would wear it at least every other week, and the rest of the time she would wear outfits just like it. Then one day she had worn it to a party and spent the evening getting both catcalled and misgendered, gone straight home and forever shelved that look. Now that she thought about it, it was also pretty much the last social event she went to that wasn't meant for networking.

While Jaina didn't particularly regret her hermit lifestyle, it had resulted in her having no idea how to dress herself for a date. Her first idea was to return to the old aesthetic with some new clothes, but it was a lot harder to pull off when you weren't starving yourself and mastering nude makeup looks in the hopes it would make your mom stop calling you Jacob. Her second idea was to call Vereessa, but mapping out the call in her head killed that plan in its infancy: "Hey guess whose going on a date for the first time in eight years and needs help picking an outfit." "Oh my sun with who?" "Your older sibling who until recently was presumed dead, and who you told me explicitly not to seek out."

By the time she got in the shower Jaina had more or less narrowed it down to 3 possibilities. She would have to make the final decision while drying her hair. She stripped down, walked towards the shower, but only reached the mirror before stopping and looking down at herself. She wasn't bothered by her tummy, after her early twenties Jaina considered it a badge of honor how soft it had gotten. The problem was what hung beneath it.

Had Jaina wanted to, she could have gotten rid of it with minimal pain and a wave of her hand. Gender transformation was one of the oldest and most well understood forms of magic. The only reason Jaina had put if off for so long was spite, born from her _dear_ mother's fixation on _lady parts_ and _the surgery_ ; as well as an irrational fear that she would suddenly get an aneurysm and with it the desire to continue her bloodline. Taking the plunge and getting rid of her dick meant she wouldn't have to spend the night with it taped to her ass, nor would she need to write Sylvanas an essay about what she was and wasn't okay with doing with it. But then if she got rid of her dick just to make having sex with Sylvanas easier, how was it different than if she'd done it to appease her mom? At the end of the day she would still be changing herself to fit someone else's ideal version of her.

At that point Jaina decided she was definitely overthinking it. If they had a second date Jaina could schedule the necessary conversation with Sponge, and corresponding emotional breakdown at an earlier and more appropriate time.

* * *

The Deadmines was a moderately large complex of dubious legality only a stone's throw away from the Violet Hold. The place was a piece of Dalaran history that Jaina had somehow missed, despite living and studying in the city for 8 years. The main entrance to the bar was an inconspicuous cellar door along the main street. The Deadmines was the oldest queer bar in Lordaeron, it had withstood lynch mobs, homophobic police, aids crisis and gentrification. It was not just a place of queer solidarity, it was a place of queer resistance, and at least one gold star lesbian youtuber had lost teeth trying to get in.

Jaina was so engrossed in reading academic dissertations about queer history she literally walked face first into Sylvanas, pushing them both over and only with the help of some instinctual telekinesis saved her phone from a shattered screen. "That's one way to make an entrance." Sylvanas said, grinning smugly in between Jaina's boobs.

"Sorry, sorry." Jaina staggered to her feet and pulled Sylvanas up with her. "Oh." Jaina was momentarily awestruck looking at Sylvanas; so far, she had only seen Sylvanas in their ranger uniform, and she had sort of started thinking of that as her default state of being. Jaina had expected Sylvanas to wear more or less the same as her, minus the stolen tie around her neck: comfortable but well-fitting pants, a nice dress shirt, and her favorite jacket to ward against the cold. Instead Sylvanas looked like she had just stepped off a goth runway, wearing sinfully tight leather pants, a black trench coat, wide-brimmed black hat, intricate silver earrings, an oversized black t-shirt with the caption "so goth I was born black", and as the sole speck of color a black and red flannel.

"Hello Jaina, you look lovely as ever." Sylvanas said, then took Jaina's hand in their own and pressed their lips gently against it like a fairy prince out of the stories Jaina had been briefly obsessed with when she was 16 years old.

Jaina snorted nervously. "Please. Look at yourself, I feel like I should go home and change before I can even hang on your arm."

Sylvanas fidgeted. "I'm just wearing some of my nicer everyday clothes."

"Please tell me that's a lie, my confidence cannot handle otherwise." Jaina said, only half joking.

"I guess it's a lie then." Sylvanas grinned from to ear. "And while I would relish the chance to watch you change, I would prefer if you would give me back my tie first, I only own 8 more like it."

Jaina punched their shoulder then smiled. "With a bit of patience, you might just get to take it off me yourself."

The band, Finder's Keeper, a queer anti-colonialist noisecore duo Jaina had accidentally become a living encyclopedia on, was already playing by the time Sylvanas and Jaina entered. The music they played was not Jaina's usual style of music, it didn't sound unpleasant to her, didn't sound like anything really, just... noise.

It wasn't the kind of music that played when the princess met her prince, nor when the couple kissed after being named prom king and queen. It was however just the right kind of soundtrack for the sort of night Jaina had hoped for. The screamed vocals drowned out her accelerating heartbeat, the pained noise from speakers pushed to their limit gave her the courage to grab Sylvanas' hand, so gingerly resting on her side, and move it down to her upper thigh. Sylvanas looked in her eyes for permission then moved the hand the rest of the way on to her ass which she gave a gentle but firm squeeze. Jaina was happy they were nearing the bar, if something didn't take the edge off soon, she would end up begging Sylvanas to fuck her in the bathroom.

The drinks were cheap and quickly ready, the glasses were the only thing that looked clean in the entire place. Sylvanas got a bright red cocktail, Jaina bought a stout. They found a booth in within view of the stage, but far enough away they could hear each other talk. And talk they did.

Sylvanas teased Jaina for trying to "drink like an adult" while gesturing to her own sweet-smelling drink. Jaina denied, explaining that as a Kul Tiran she was among the select few who genuinely enjoyed the taste of beer. Sylvanas told her she'd have never guessed, considering her lack of accent. Jaina awkwardly paused, trying to hide behind her beer, before, with a little shame admitting that besides just having travelled a lot, she didn't really think she had anything to come home to. Sylvanas didn't probe, instead turning the conversation on to her own Thalassian heritage, hardly a surprise to Jaina with how long she had known Vereesa, though she of course didn't mention that. She did wonder if Sylvanas also switched to Thalassian when she got drunk.

"So why did you come here?" Jaina, said after drinking deep from her beer and feeling the bitter warmth spread through her body. She never could keep her curiosity at bay.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said you were Thalassian, isn't Quel'Thalas' ranger corps both bigger and better funded?"

Sylvanas ran a slender, oh so very slender, finger through their drink. "More prestigious too, on account of its ties to the army. Every kid grows up wanting to become a farstrider, but to be that, you first need to have been a ranger, and since most recruits drop out during training there's never any shortage of trained rangers."

"So was that why you came here? You wanted to be a ranger but didn't want to join in the circus?"

"You could say that. I tried getting in, but no amount of conviction or military family history is going to make a delinquent high school dropout compare to the kids with their expensive degrees."

"And this was plan B?" Jaina guessed, tossing her hair as she licked foam from her lips.

Sylvanas took in the sight before answering. "Plan E more like." They said with a grin, definitely more aimed at Jaina's display than their own joke.

Jaina grinned back.

Sylvanas rested her lips on the edge of her glass, sensually trailing her tongue through it.

Jaina loosened her tie, and undid the top three buttons on her shirt. "How do you like plan E then?"

Sylvanas leant forward, placing a hand on Jaina's knee under the table, while smiling like they were doing nothing of the sort. "Food's better than expected, though it doesn't compare to Quel'Thalas." Jaina couldn't disagree with that, Lordaeronian cuisine only barely won out over Kul Tiran cuisine for blandest food on planet Azeroth. "The sights however." Now Sylvanas was leaning even closer, and giving Jaina a hungry look that made no secret of who she was referring to. "Are beyond compare."

Jaina laughed on instinct, unsure whether it was the cheesiness of Sylvanas' line, or a defense mechanism. Seeing Sylvanas' confused expression with a hint of hurt, she quickly undid another button and gave better view to make her intentions clearer. "Any particular features you enjoy?" She said, considering for several long moments to add a sultry wink and eventually going for it. They were officially past the point of elegant flirtation.

"I have to say, your _hills_ are exquisite."

Feeling Sylvanas' hand venture slowly up her thigh, Jaina dropped the last ounce of pretense and asked. "Is this the kind of place where making out in the bathroom is frowned upon."

For a moment Sylvanas' grip tightened around her thigh as she processed Jaina's words. "Au contraire."

Their faces moved closer at the same time stopping just far enough to fill each other's vision with their faces. "Would you like a closer look at my _hills_?"

In lieu of a response, Sylvanas chugged the rest of their drink, their cheeks momentarily flushing as they took Jaina by the hand and lead her towards the bathrooms. With her free hand Jaina grabbed her half empty stout, draining it just as Sylvanas pushed open the bathroom door a little harder than needed.

The stall felt clean despite the tags and stickers that covered the tiled walls. The air smelled like alcohol, the sanitizing kind, which Jaina guessed was an attempt to fight the stench of sex and the fun kind of alcohol. It reminded Jaina of labs during final weeks, so much so she was almost expecting to stumble upon a crying MSc student.

Sylvanas spun Jaina around, using her body to slam the door shut before they pressed their lips against Jaina's neck. It was like a switch had been flipped in her mind, she started dissociating, her eyes wandering the back wall before eventually fixating on a sticker reading: "There are men without dicks, women without vaginas, and transphobes without teeth."

"Jaina, are you quite alright?" Sylvanas was looking at her, concern written in their deep brown eyes.

"Huh? Yes sorry I must have spaced out for a moment." Jaina shook her head and noticed with surprise that she was still every bit as dressed as she had been before the stall door closed.

"Would you like to stop?" Sylvanas seemed no less concerned.

"No, absolutely not!"

"Are you sure? Because you did just pull a _close your eyes and think of Kul Tiras_ on me."

Jaina blinked twice, a lot of old and confusing memories falling into place all at once. "I did, didn't I?"

"You certainly did, it was rather unsettling."

"Apologies, I did not expect my past to haunt me like this."

Sylvanas shook her head in disbelief. "Seems I have my work cut out for me."

In lieu of an answer, Jaina wrapped her arms around Sylvanas head and crashed their lips together. Their teeth scraped against each other and they pulled apart with a laugh, taking a second to readjust their angles to let lips lock and tongues dance.

Jaina felt two things at about the same time: her shirt getting untucked as Sylvanas worked without breaking the kiss, and her pants getting tighter as her body reacted to their work. Her shirt hit the floor with a gentle _thump_ and they finally broke apart, both struggling for breath.

"How far do you want to go?" Sylvanas was awkwardly looking for a place to hang their hat while fiddling with the edge of their t-shirt

"How far will you take me?" Jaina said, and unhooked her bra.

Moments later Sylvanas' coat, t-shirt, hat and bra all landed on top of the stainless-steel toilet. Jaina had just enough time to savor the vicious scar trailing up their stomach, before she had Sylvanas' thigh between her leg and her back pressed against the stall door.

Sylvanas pressed her lips intensely, but not forcefully against Jaina's. Their tongue pleaded for entry and Jaina was all too happy to give it. Next her hands trailed down Jaina's sides, causing both of them to shiver with pleasure, before coming to rest on Jaina's hips. Sylvanas broke the kiss with a smirk, letting a breathless Jaina know the ball was in her court.

Jaina was all too happy to follow Sylvanas lead, moving her hips to rub against the thigh pressed between them. Her pants were uncomfortably tight and Jaina was thanking the tides for her choice not to tuck that night.

Sylvanas pressed her thigh higher up into Jaina crotch as she grabbed her hips to make her move harder. Jaina moaned and gasped like she hadn't since she bought her vibrating dildo, and when she felt Sylvanas' teeth close playfully around one of her nipples everything turned white for a second. "Tides Sylvanas I'm close."

"Hold on for me a little longer." Sylvanas more moaned than spoke into her ear. Jaina just whimpered in acknowledgement as she felt Sylvanas trying to open her jeans while keeping their eyes on her face.

Sylvanas made a cute grunt of victory as the sole button on Jaina's jeans popped open. Next she pressed a kiss that was as much teeth as lips against Jaina's chin as she pulled down the zipper.

When slender fingers reached into Jaina's panties and brushed against where she wanted it most, Sylvanas suddenly froze. their breathing became heavy, and not the good kind of heavy. They withdrew their hand carefully, as if they were trying not to startle some venomous animal inhabiting Jaina's pants. With stiff, hurried movements and shaking hands they put their t-shirt and coat back on, keeping their vision fixed as far away from Jaina as possible the entire time.

Jaina stood motionless, shock and confusion keeping her from even opening her mouth. Sylvanas pushed forcefully past her, whispering "I'm sorry" just as the stall door swung shut.

The toilet seat was a less than ideal place to sit and mull over your feelings, the lid was flimsy plastic and one of the screws keeping it in place was missing, causing it to slide whenever Jaina shifted her weight. She wasn't even angry, that would come later, just... confused. Her mind had of course gone to the worst-case scenario first, making her think Sylvanas was gold star lesbian or some other dumb shit like that, but that was when Jaina's inquisitive mind took over. It didn't fit for Sylvanas to be some sort of TERF adjacent lesbian, not because they were nonbinary, twitter had long since taught Jaina those two were not mutually exclusive, it just didn't add up. Sylvanas' expression was not one of disgust, they didn't swear up a storm at Jaina for "deceiving them" or some such. They just sort of... fucked off and left.

Jaina saw Sylvanas' hat lying on the floor and sighed. She picked it up along with the tie which she rolled up and put inside the hat. If she was lucky, someone at the bar knew Sylvanas and she could pawn off giving Sylvanas' stuff back to them. Jaina did not need more junk clogging up her very limited cellar space, she still had a box of Kalec's anime DVDs for Tides' sake!

On either side of the door out of the Deadmines were windows allowing people to look at the streets above. Knowing the history of the place it was not hard to guess why they were there: from the street level they were all but invisible, but from the inside they gave you another crucial few seconds to spot a police raid. For Jaina, they showed someone looking suspiciously like Sylvanas sitting on the curb and feeling miserable.

Sylvanas looked up in offense as she was poked with the brim of her own hat. "Take it, I live in a shoebox apartment." Jaina's face betrayed no emotion

"You must think terribly of me." Sylvanas said, accepting the offered hat and tie.

Jaina's face tightened. "That depends on why you did it, not what you did."

"Truth be told I would rather not talk about it."

There was a haunted look in Sylvanas' eyes, Jaina didn't fully understand what it meant, but it was clear none of Sylvanas' hesitance was aimed at Jaina. She sat down on the curb, far enough away to give Sylvanas breathing room, but close enough to touch hands. "Okay."

Sylvanas hiccupped, making Jaina notice the streaks of mascara running down their face. "Okay?"

Jaina's hand came to rest halfway between them, and a moment later Sylvanas' rested on top of them. "It really is all men huh?"

Sylvanas snorted, though it came out choked. "Every single one."

"Sorry for not warning you ahead of time."

"Don't be, things happened fast. If anything I owe you an apology for thinking you're cis."

Now it was Jaina turn to snort. "I'm not above taking that as a compliment."

"Good, means this night wasn't a complete waste." Just like that Sylvanas' sour mood returned.

The silence stretched out between them, or it would have, had they not been sitting outside a queer punk bar where a noisecore band was trying to blow out the speakers.

Eventually it all became too much for Jaina to bear. If she was going to be alone with her thoughts she might as well do it at home wearing sweat pants, and if she was going to keep being out in public wearing high waisted jeans, then she at least deserved a treat. "Wanna get milkshakes?" Jaina said, not waiting for a response before she stood up.

"Huh." Sylvanas expression was all too familiar to Jaina, it was the same face Vereesa pulled whenever she thought she finally understood whatever an article was trying to tell her, only to be blindsided by a paragraph contradicting her interpretation.

"There's a 7eleven a few streets over, I'm going to get a milkshake, do you want to join me?" At this point Jaina didn't particularly care what Sylvanas answered, she had given them their stuff back and she (understandably) wasn't getting laid, so she was really just being polite.

"Sure, I could do with some chocolate about now."

Jaina had imagined a lot of shitty ways her night could have ended. Slurping coffee milkshake on a bus stop facing a 7-eleven before midnight was not on that list. On the bright side, Sylvanas was still sitting next to her, probably freezing her skinny ass off, especially with the rate she was vacuuming that chocolate milkshake at.

"What happens now?" Sylvanas said, looking guiltily from her own 2/3rds empty milkshake to Jaina's practically full one.

"Don't suppose you're willing to wait 3 to 9 months for me to get my sausage sheared?" With a bit of magic Jaina could have a shiny new vagina in less time than it would take to drive back to her apartment. However assuming Sylvanas' knew anything at all about transitioning timelines, speeding up the process was asking for a masquerade breach.

"You're joking?" Sylvanas raised one eyebrow in question.

"I don't exactly have future partners breaking down my door. I can wait if you can."

"What about in between now and then? Do we just go our separate way until you call me?"

Sylvanas chose that exact moment to look away, making it impossible for Jaina to read their face. She mulled it over in her head for a long time, chewing on the tip of her straw as she did so. What did she want to have happen next? What they had so far towed the line between sex with a little extra, and something more altogether. When she put it like that it was an easy question to answer: Jaina had long since decided she lived for her work not for whatever "love" was supposed to be.

With that settled Jaina steadied herself and answered: "I would like to see you more before then." The exact opposite, of what she had decided to answer.

Sylvanas' face brightened, and from that Jaina knew she had made the right choice. "I would like that as well."

Jaina looked away and cringed, she'd really gone and done it this time, and without any good ways to back out either. "To be honest, I don't think I will make a very good friend." The closest thing Jaina had to a non-work acquaintance was Vereesa, and that was entirely because Jaina was her only link to life outside the suburbs.

"I've never exactly claimed to be personable either. No doubt we will bore of each other eventually, but lets see if we can't get at least one good lay out of it beforehand."

Jaina grunted. "I promise you, you will have plenty of reason to want to strangle me long before I even get a date for my surgery."

Sylvanas rested their elbow on the back of the bench, then put their cheek against the palm of their hand before finally sending Jaina a dreamy look. "I shall do the utmost to repay the favor in kind, though I admit I would hate if all the choking was to come at the expense of spanking."

Now Jaina truly could not keep from laughing, no matter how hard she tried to retain her sour mood. "You are incredible." She said, her voice full of surprised joy.

"Usually I don't hear that until after I've put my strap on."

Jaina choked on milkshake. Not cute choked either, but fully undignified, coughing with brown spit running down her face, coffee milkshake mixing with snot and coming out her nose, ugly choking. Sylvanas picked through the pockets on her long coat, eventually pulling out a packet of tissues and tenderly handing them to Jaina. They were the good kind of tissues, with a gradient not a solid color on the packet, extra soft and absorbent, unlike what Jaina usually bought for herself.

They let the silence wrap around them like a cold blanket. This time however, it was comfortable, not awkward. Just two friends(?) enjoying their late-night milkshakes, the clashing architectures of Dalaran's Eventide district, and all the sounds that came with a Friday night in the inner city.

As she slowly, so as to avoid brain freeze, made her way through her milkshake, Jaina couldn't help her gaze from wandering. There wasn't a lot to look at: some facades covered by metal grates, the odd illegible tag, and a whole lot of buildings that looked like they switched architects two-thirds of the way through construction. And then of course the fucking 7eleven, lighting up the street like the wrath of god; no matter how hard she tried, she kept looking back at it. Then she realized why.

There, standing by the window table, pretending to read from a magazine, while occasionally running his fork through, but never eating from a store-bought pasta salad. Jaina should have realized when he was trailing behind them in line at the 7eleven; the only people who knowingly bought premade pasta salads were those who couldn't afford pharmaceutical laxatives, and those didn't stick around to eat it in public. It was a rookie mistake, letting her feelings get away with her like that.

Apropos of nothing Sylvanas opened their mouth to speak, no doubt something equal parts romantic and insightful, but Jaina stopped them. "Don't look now but I think we're being followed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a lot out of me to write, I think all said and done I probably spent the better part of a month writing it cause well, it's heavy stuff.
> 
> That said, that scene™ was also one of the first things that came to me about this fic - basically I wanted to genuinely engage with what is 9 times out of 10 a bad faith argument about traumatic experiences relating to dicks and how that can influence a person's romantic/sexual possibilities with a trans woman.
> 
> This probably won't be the only chapter that works on this topic because, trauma is not a thing you talk about once then its gone forever.
> 
> Anyways next chapter will be more action heavy, but sappho only knows when that will come out so until then you can follow me on tumblr @ offbrand-valk


	5. SI:7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's a more action focused chapter as a counterweight to the very angsty last chapter. We also get a few clues as to what happened to Sylvanas in the 10 years she was presumed dead. Probably not enough that you can put it all together, not unless you manage to make a very lucky guess as to what the thing in her shoe is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Stalking, and mild gore.

"Don't look now but I think we're being followed."

"Huh?" Sylvanas head swung around like a scared owl.

"I said don't look!"

Sylvanas head snapped back to facing Jaina. It was clear they were battling every bone in their body not to keep looking around for their stalker.

"Okay now act like I said something funny."

Sylvanas made a hoarse nervous sound, not unlike what Jaina thought tickling someone with a loaded gun would sound like.

"Good enough. Remember the guy in line behind us at 7eleven? Red hair, handlebar mustache, blue and yellow suit?" Sylvanas just kept looking more and more confused. "Well he spent the entirety of our heart to heart staring us down and now that he's been found out, is trying to pass it off as if he's reading a magazine."

"Are you sure you're not just imagining things." She wasn't, but the guy set off her creep alert, and you didn't get to where Jaina was today without listening to your creep alert.

Jaina dared another look to the side, meeting the creep's eyes for a second before he hurriedly looked down as if nothing had happened. "If that's the case he must be really torn up about buying a Škoda Favorit, cause he's been inspecting that two-page spread for a solid minute now."

It wasn't definitive proof and Sylvanas seemed to realize as much.

"Fine tell you what, it's time I got going anyways. Walk me to the station and we'll see if he follows."

He didn't follow them. Not at first at least.

They had gotten halfway to the station, and Jaina was already formulating an excuse for letting her imagination get away with her, when she spotted something disappearing down an alley. She walked past the alley pretending to have seen nothing. "Hold on, what time is it?" Jaina turned around, pretending to hold her phone under the streetlight, and directed Sylvanas' gaze past the screen towards the alley. There crouched to stay out of sight, and pretending to tie his shoelaces, he was. Same blue blazer and yellow shirt.

He realized he'd been made once more and dove behind a bus stop. Sylvanas looked at Jaina, not sure what she had seen but clearly concerned. She looked from side to side, switching her weight back and forth as she did so, eventually looking to Jaina for guidance.

"Why don't we check the bus schedule, I might be able to save a few stops on the train if the timing lines up right." Jaina wasn't planning to actually confront their stalker, in fact she was fully expecting him to make a graceful exit as they got close. Her real goal was just for Sylvanas to get a good look at him, because she doubted two close calls would be enough to dissuade him.

Sure enough, as they neared the man strolled casually out of his hiding spot and back up the street, pretending to be very engrossed by a phone call. Sylvanas visibly shivered, Jaina couldn't blame them, she doubted park rangers spent very much time being stalked by suspicious men in suits. "Why do you think he's following us? If he wanted to mug us, he would have done so by now right?"

Jaina straightened her shoulder, somewhere along the way, these situations had just become part of her life. "I don't know, and I'm not going to stick around to find out." Had she been on her own, Jaina might have chased him down and iced him until he squealed, but she couldn't do that now. Odds were he was either looking for Alliance secrets, or plotting her assassination; either way Jaina's first priority had to be getting Sylvanas out of the crossfire.

"To the station?" Sylvanas asked, looking cautiously from side to side.

"He probably heard us talking about that. Let's use the lead we have, grab a bus, circle around then switch to a train down by the citadel?"

Sylvanas nodded and took a deep breath. "Run?"

"Brisk walk, we won't get away if we get winded."

They picked the first bus they came across. The driver was grumpy and didn't spare them more than a single glance to check the amount of beeps from the card reader fit the amount of passengers joining. Jaina and Sylvanas sat at the very back, though there was only one other passenger, an enby in an oversized hoodie dissociating with their headphones on.

They got about three stops along, and then, there he was again! The red-haired man in the blue suit got on and situated himself near the entrance, making no gesture of recognition. "Fuck." Jaina and Sylvanas both swore under their breath.

Jaina looked over the bus-route on her phone. "We'll shake him at citadel station." It would be a lot harder to do in the middle of the night than had they been doing it in during rush hour, but it was a better plan than trying to outrun him down dark alleys.

The Violet Citadel had first been constructed as a defensive bulwark back when cannons still seemed a bit hoity-toity. As time went on, the place had gradually been renovated and adapted to fit whatever the city needed it to be, which in modern times mostly meant a place to fill in government forms and mooch off public wi-fi. Somewhere along the way someone had decided the place also needed to be the nerve center for all trains in Southern Lordaeron, though getting rid of the disgusting purple wall color would apparently be sacrilege.

Jaina, Sylvanas, the enby with the headphones, and mr. Creepy-with-bad-fashion-sense all got off at the same stop. Their stalker dragged his feet on getting off the bus, and they used that to their advantage. Because of the many renovations, the Violet Citadel was a maze even for people like Jaina who knew the place.

They kept moving as they looked over their escape options: The next train left for Alterac in 25 minutes, but that was only good as a last resort. If their stalker managed to get on they would be locked in with him for more than an hour, and if not they would have to find their way home from a foreign country. 10 minutes later there would be a train to Gilneas and a few minutes after that one towards Tirisfal Glade; both would stop at the Sepulcher where Sylvanas had parked their car.

They took the escalator down to where the train for Gilneas was bound to leave, and there he was again, innocently reading his phone at the opposite end of the platform. Sylvanas turned to leave but Jaina had a better idea. Pretending not to have noticed him, they got up on the train, sat down by the entrance. Not much later he followed suit, standing so far down the train they could barely see him. Soon as the whistle sounded, Jaina and Sylvanas both leapt from their seats, and jumped out through the closing doors.

They even had enough time to smile and wave as their very befuddled pursuer suddenly found himself headed for the middle of nowhere, with no place to get off for at least 30 km.

Sylvanas shuddered as all the tension left their body. "What the fuck do you think that was all about?"

Jaina feigned ignorance "Tides if I know." On second thought, there was another just as likely explanation as Scarlet Crusade hitmen. "Probably some creep who gets hard off following people with tits around at night."

"Probably was yes. I should have just broken his nose and been done with it." Sylvanas bravado was back with a vengeance, but Jaina would be lying if she said it wasn't a comfort.

"Best you didn't, never know how people like that respond to being confronted."

Sylvanas snorted and cracked their knuckles. "I'd like to see him try."

"Oh my knight in shining armor." Jaina said and fanned herself with her phone.

"How dare you! Lady Proudoore I did not spend 45 minutes upending my house in search of black lipstick to be called a knight in _shining_ armor."

"Apologies m'lord." Jaina laughed. "I meant, my dark knight in dark armor dark as the darkness of their dark soul."

Sylvanas nodded. "Much better."

* * *

The train to Tirisfal Glade would be the long way home for Jaina compared to waiting another 20 minutes for a train going straight to Lordaeron City. As things had been going however, neither of them were in any rush to part ways; there was so much that still needed to be said, and they had no idea how to say it. Not to mention that they were still half expecting a creep in a blue suit and a yellow shirt to pop out behind every corner they rounded.

When Jaina said the train was the long way around, even that was a bit of an understatement. The national railway company, in their infinite wisdom, had decided that between midnight and 6, the train needed to not only complete a full loop of Dalaran before going north, but also stop on every station along the way. She was seriously considering calling up Liadrin and putting up with the noises, because otherwise she wouldn't be seeing a bed until 5:37 according to her journey planner.

They sat down diagonally across from each other, Sylvanas took her shoes off before putting up her feet, Jaina had no such compulsion about dragging mud over public seating. Sylvanas fidgeted a bit with one of the buttons of their coat. "When you said you wanted to stay in contact, where you just being polite? I would rather not outstay my welcome"

There was Jaina's chance for backing out. "What are you talking about? Of course, I want to stay in contact. Why would you think otherwise?" And missed it.

Sylvanas kept fiddling with the buttons on her coat, mulling the words over in her head before speaking. "Well considering my less than chivalrous... indiscretion, I would certainly understand if you had taken offense."

Jaina swatted at the air in dismissal. "And I froze up the moment you laid your hands on me. What is queer dating if not a mutual exchange of traumas?" There it was, that big sapphic word, the word that made her feel like she was an awkward teenager afraid to look anyone with long hair in the eyes.

"Dating?" Sylvanas seemed every bit as scared by the word as Jaina felt.

"Or whatever you want to call the thing we just went on." Jaina said, laughing unconvincingly.

"I understand."

"That's great, because I don't." The words came out a lot more shrill than Jaina had intended.

"What is it you don't understand Jaina?"

"What is it you understand?"

"... I guess not much, at least not about what's between us."

"I was expecting friends with benefits."

"But if those benefits will have to wait, does that leave only, what? Friendship?"

Jaina shrugged, she was pretty sure this wasn't how most women her age made friends, but she wasn't joining any yoga classes any time soon. "I suppose." It wasn't the kind of outcome Jaina had hoped for: she had enough trouble maintaining one friendship, two seemed downright excessive.

The things she did to get strapped.

Sylvanas looked out the window for a bit, Jaina joined her in watching the inner city give way to suburban condos. After a while Sylvanas looked around, Jaina joined them fearing the man in the blue suit had returned. The wagon was empty except for the two of them, and an enby in black reading a novel at the opposite end of the wagon. "I may be overstepping a line just as we have drawn it." There was a sense of caution, but also flirtation in Sylvanas' voice that made Jaina lean forward and give her a view down her cleavage.

"Go on."

Sylvanas voice was barely more than a whisper, albeit a very sultry, hushed whisper. "I have no problems with your body as a whole, if anything I am thoroughly appreciative of it. It would require some creativity and further negotiation, but as far as my comfort is concerned, there's still plenty of ways we could enjoy each other physically."

Now that was much more the kind of arrangement Jaina could get into. "Are you inviting me back to your place?"

Sylvanas blushed, and Jaina started plotting ways she could express her affection. "Not tonight, I'm afraid I have had too much excitement as is. But in the not too distant future? Certainly."

Jaina didn't mind, truth be told she felt much the same way, horniness aside. "I will keep you to that."

"As I will keep you to me."

Jaina giggle-snorted. "That was terrible, will you marry me."

Sylvanas blushed again and Jaina couldn't wait to see that blush be replaced by hunger when she showed them how far down her throat she could fit a 23cm dildo.

* * *

After the suburbs came open plains, with small scant cities dotting the landscape. The train stopped in Ambermill, a city with an honest to Tides clocktower. Once the train left the station there would be nothing but 30 minutes breezy drive through dense woods between Jaina, and Sylvanas leaving her for the night. Unlike every other stop since leaving Dalaran, people boarded the train here.

Jaina didn't take notice when two of the newcomers sat down across the hall from them, at least not until she heard the heavy _thump_ of one of their bags being sat down on the table. That thump gave her a bad vibe, it wasn't the right kind of thump, it was too... localized; like the weight wasn't properly distributed.

Three more people wearing black clothes entered the wagon from the far end. They were all looking right at Jaina and Sylvanas, while doing a piss poor job at hiding the firearms in their jacket. "We gotta go." Jaina said over her shoulder as she leapt from her seat.

The person closest to Jaina reached into her bag, no doubt to pull out another gun, Jaina grabbed the bag by the strap and pulled. Turning towards their exit she found a buff man in an all-black suit blocking her way and reaching into his breast pocket. Jaina charged the bag with arcane energy and flung it against his chest, causing him to stagger and the gun to fire on impact. It was a crude usage of magic that almost hurt Jaina's pride, but she couldn't start throwing icicles in the middle of a train with Sylvanas in tow and in plain view of several security cameras.

Jaina pushed past the man in the suit, as one then a second steel-toed shoe hit his head, and ran for the emergency brake, Sylvanas following close behind her.

The steel wheels chorus of pained screams echoed through the wagons as a rarely used mechanism engaged, pitting friction against momentum at 180 km/h.

The mountain of a man had recovered from having a spontaneously firing machine gun in a bag thrown at his chest, it had done a number on his foot but that didn't stop him from lunging at Jaina.

With a furious scream Sylvanas pulled the man off Jaina before he could even get a proper grasp on her. Jaina saw the two tumble to the ground, but instead of helping she turned towards the door.

Jaina's rapid flight and the train's sudden deceleration had left the rest of their pursuers scrambling for purchase. The first person was almost through the door and pointing a pistol at Jaina. She grabbed them by the arm and pulled them through the doorway; using telekinesis to slide the door shut behind them with enough force to break the mechanism.

Her opponent attempted to aim the pistol against Jaina's temple. Jaina tried to wrestle the pistol from them but found them stronger than her. Jaina locked eyes with the other person, their black hoodie seemed oddly familiar. "This does no-" The pleading tone in their voice did not register to Jaina as she headbutted them, then threw her entire weight against them, slamming them into the side wall. Their grasp on the pistol weakened from the shock and Jaina wasted no time placing it under their chin. "Don't flinch."

Blood, brain and skull fragments sprayed straight up as Jaina pulled the trigger and the person in the hoodie's body went slack. The other 5 people were using the butts of their firearms to break the sliding door and Jaina had to make another snap decision. The tenets of the Alliance allowed breaking the masquerade to save one's own life only when all other options were exhausted. Her and Sylvanas weren't getting away without some magical aid, and she had just killed one of their numbers which probably reduced the odds they were willing to take her alive.

Jaina reached out with her senses, grasping a power deep within her, threading it through impossibly complex pattern. _Dream of Staunchness, Dream of Ice_. A cold front ran through her blood, heading for her fingertips while her eyes glowed with excess magic. The entire universe was unveiled to her for the barest of moments before she gave it shape. She pushed back against her attackers pounding on the door encasing it in a thick sheet of ice.

Then came a stinging pain in her collar bone followed by a weight being thrown on top of her.

"Don't flinch." Jaina's attacker hissed into her ear, no doubt feeling very smug. Jaina reacted instinctively, throwing her back against the side wall as her attacker bit down on her once more. Jaina concentrated through the pain, used it as a vehicle through which to channel her magic. She blinked two steps forward and unloaded the clip into the dhampir's heart

Jaina turned to look at Sylvanas. They were holding their own surprisingly well against an opponent one and a half times their own size. Sylvanas had a split eyebrow which was leaking blood into their eyes, but their opponent had gotten a broken nose as a tradeoff and was rapidly losing dhampir strength to his wounded foot.

The train finally ground to a halt just as Jaina was rushing to her date's aid, sending her tumbling in to the suit mountain. Sylvanas leant into the roll, sliding across the floor and landing next to her boots. The wounded dhampir did not spare Jaina a second glance as he barreled towards Sylvanas; who remained on the floor rummaging around for _something_ in the collar of her right boot. Next thing Jaina saw was a spray of blood as that _something_ was repeatedly jabbed into the eye of the dhampir.

"Okay time to go." Sylvanas looked at Jaina with confusion for a moment, her eyes looked strangely darkened. Then realization dawned and she took Jaina's hand in her own and picked up her shoes with her other. The bloodied object was dropped into the right boot.

Hand in hand they leapt off the stopped train and ran as fast as they could into the dense woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *awkwardly wipes down a blackboard reading "it has been [ ] days since allie last ended on a cliffhanger" and adds a 0*
> 
> As usual I'm on tumblr @ [offbrand-valk](offbrand-valk.tumblr.com), also if you comment I _will_ give you a big wet kiss on the cheek.


	6. Through the Hedge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And after several emotional breakdowns, lots of trauma sharing, getting chased across town by a creepy dude in an ugly suit before getting in a fight with a PMC; we are finally at the end of the first date arch. Can you believe I used to think I could fit this in one chapter ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So inspired by Ice-Fairy-Chiruno on tumblr's amazing biracial Sylvanas' design I've gone back and changed some description to coincide with those designs (with her permission ofc). Also, I made Vereesa fat because of ice-fairy-chiruno's suggestion; and while I was at it, I also realized I never gave Liadrin a proper introductory description so I added that in chapter 2 too.

Jaina and Sylvanas ran as fast as they could through the woods. They only had a short lead and if they were going to make it through the night unscathed, they would have to make it count.

With every broken branch Jaina expected to feel the stinging pain of a bullet tearing through her leg, though all she got was the dull pain of her dhampir bite. Contrary to popular belief she was at no risk of turning into a bloodsucker herself, that was a much more elaborate process, but it still hurt like a motherfucker and was probably infected.

Jaina had also never been a sprinter, and as dense as the forest was, the slender pine trees provided next to no cover from their pursuer's bright flashlight trailing tides know how close behind them.

Capture seemed only a matter of time, and Jaina was preparing for round two when Sylvanas grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into a ravine.

They pressed their backs against the sides of the ravine, trying to breathe quietly. They heard the running footsteps come closer.

Closer.

A beam of light passed right over their heads.

Then a second.

And then the footsteps started sounding further away.

Jaina and Sylvanas breathed synchronized sighs of relief, then froze, fully expecting the flashlight and footsteps to return. When they didn't, Jaina shuffled closer to Sylvanas and turned her back towards them. "How bad is it?" She said, gesturing to where she felt the dhampir bite.

"Painful, but I don't think it will kill you... Should I try to stem the bleeding?"

Jaina groaned. "No just let it bleed freely for a bit, I've heard it does wonders for the humors."

"You'll excuse that I am not my brightest self after sprinting barefoot through the forest." Sylvanas snarked back, then reached around Jaina to fasten an improvised bandage.

"You are excused." Jaina winced as she felt Sylvanas tighten the bandage. She looked down, curious what Sylvanas had found on such short notice. It was the tie Jaina had stolen the week before and given back earlier that same night. "Sorry." She added half-heartedly. Sylvanas grunted in response.

Turning back around, Jaina saw Sylvanas trying to rub the dirt from their torn-up socks. "Let me help you." It wasn't really a question, but Jaina still waited for Sylvanas' hesitant nod before continuing. Slowly, so as to not create too much noise, Jaina slid the rest of the way down the ravine to inspect the damages.

It wasn't as bad as she had feared: the socks had taken the brunt of the damage, leaving Sylvanas with only some shallow cuts and a lot of dirt to show for it. Instead of just going ahead with cleaning the wound as best she could, she remembered Sylvanas' trauma and asked. "Is it okay if I pull your socks off? I don't think they'll do you a lot of good?"

Sylvanas took a steadying breath. "No I'll do it myself." After another moment's hesitation, she glanced at her shoes. "Maybe you could take the blade out of those and clean it?" Jaina nodded, that she could do.

Carefully Jaina reached into Sylvanas' shoe, pulling out the ranger's bloody weapon. It wasn't any kind of knife Jaina had seen before, it was made of iron, had a leaf shaped blade half the length of a finger, and a hollow shaft only barely longer than the blade itself. After cleaning off the blood with some dry leaves and putting it back inside its hidden scabbard, Jaina realized it wasn't a knife at all. She turned to Sylvanas with an incredulous expression. "Why do you carry around an antique arrowhead in your boot?"

Sylvanas winced and looked from side to side "Would you believe me if I said: _the aesthetic_?"

Jaina laughed. "With you? Certainly."

Sylvanas snorted back. "That's good... And for the record, it's not antique, just handcrafted."

Part of Jaina wanted to leave the conversation at that, but her professional instincts took over. She had a chance to get some insight into Sylvanas' past and she was going to take it. "Either way, it helped you beat up that giant in the suit. That was so impressive by the way, where did you learn to do that?" Twirling a lock of hair was overdoing the charm, Jaina realized a few moments after she had begun doing it.

Sylvanas scratched the back of their neck. "Well... I... I did grow up in a military family."

"Growing up in a military family taught you to beat up a man one and a half times your size?" Jaina tried to sound impressed to hide her disbelief.

"In truth I was mostly able to do it because, well, I live by myself in the middle of the woods."

Jaina nodded her understanding. "Sorry I asked, I seem to have a knack for bringing up your trauma." Part of Jaina was disappointed that just as soon as she had found a thread to pull regarding Sylvanas' past it had come to an end. Had she been in the same place: a sexual assault survivor, living on her own far from help, she would probably also be doing martial arts and carrying a weapon wherever she went.

Sylvanas smirked. "Oh please, weren't you the one who said queer dating is just a mutual exchange of traumas? You can tell me about all the problems with your dad some other time."

"Dad died at sea actually. I mean he was super racist so no big loss there, but most of my trauma is tied to my mom."

"There you go, look we are only weeks away from renting that uhaul." Sylvanas said and laughed at their own joke.

"So long as you're driving." Jaina laughed too, and that was a mistake.

"Did you hear that?" Came a shout in the distance, and suddenly footsteps the footsteps were coming closer once more.

Jaina and Sylvanas inched their way down the ravine. The footsteps had quieted, the light beams were gone, and Jaina knew the noose was tightening around them. Blasting her way out was seeming more and more like the only possibility but if she did that, then the game was up; Sylvanas would be _unintentionally in the know_. Jaina knew that phrase, and all the supernatural pseudo legality that came with it like the back of her hand. Sylvanas would be held in a black site while Alliance leadership discussed the pros and cons of making them the victim of an unfortunate accident. Jaina would have to argue that their death would cause herself and Vereesa needless emotional toil, and having been on the other side of that particular procedure Jaina was all too aware how tall an order that would be. Sylvanas lived a lonely life and had no skills or connections useful to the Alliance. _Keeping them alive is just more trouble than its worth_ was what the incidence report would read.

All of that was of course assuming they even made it out of the forest alive. For all her magical powers Jaina wasn't particular bullet proof, and while her wound wasn't lethal, the pain was not going to help her concentrate either.

"Found them!" Jaina dropped her train of thought and began running.

"Stop or we will open fire." Jaina didn't doubt that for a second, and it didn't stop her.

The light beams returned in full force, and now they were coming from both sides of the ravine.

Jaina made a snap decision, grabbed Sylvanas hand, and steered her forcefully up the side of the ravine where there was a gap in the lights. Any moment now bullets would start flying, and when that happened, they needed the forest as cover.

"Last warning!" A voice came behind them. Jaina and Sylvanas crouched as they ran, making themselves as small targets as they could.

The first volley went wide, probably a warning shot.

The second volley was close, making their ears ring and showering them in splintering wood.

Sylvanas suddenly grabbed Jaina's hand, yanking her unexpectedly to the side and out of the way of the third volley.

For 10 blessed seconds no more bullets came as Jaina kept running after Sylvanas in a new direction.

The fourth volley nicked her leg. It stung like shit and was no doubt bleeding everywhere.

This was it. Jaina covered her wounds with ice and centered herself. Reached across the cosmos, let her mind swim through the lightless tides. _Dream of stars, dream of anguish, dream of cold_.

A warm hand touched her own, breaking her concentration. "Stick with me Proudmoore, I have a plan."

The rational part of Jaina's mind told her that would be suicide. That no plan Sylvanas could come up with was more likely to get them out of trouble than _throw a chunk of ice the size of a school bus at them from low orbit_. A fact that registered only after Jaina had already released her gathered strands of magic and followed Sylvanas towards another ravine.

The fifth volley miraculously missed them.

Sylvanas slid down the new ravine, Jaina following close behind. At one end of the ravine was a dense thicket which Sylvanas steered right towards.

"It's not going to work; they don't need to see us to shoot at us." Jaina said when she realized Sylvanas was planning for them to squeeze through it.

"Please. Trust me and take my hand." Sylvanas face was painted with such sincere desperation, Jaina, against every reasonable bone in her body, followed along without question..

Jaina took the offered hand. Sylvanas turned towards the thicket and used her free hand to push branches to the side. "Close your eyes, and don't open them until we're on the other side."

The thicket continued for much longer than Jaina thought it had any right to. Walking crouched with her eyes closed, following the pull of Sylvanas hand she lost all sense of time and space. All around her thorns pulled at her clothes and scratched at unprotected skin. Jaina would liken it to swimming through porridge, if someone had filled the porridge with razorblades, like the kind of post she saw plastered up and down Vereesa's newsfeed.

The sense of disorientation wasn't helped by how chaotic Jaina's magic was feeling all of a sudden. She never learned to get along with living things, and now that was all there was around her. Maybe if they had been under water it would have been different.

On the bright side they weren't getting shot to pieces, so glass half full.

Leaving the thicket felt like surfacing after a too long dive. Jaina looked around but saw no flashlights in the distance, and heard any running boots or gunfire. Looking back, she couldn't even see the ravine where they had entered. "How much thicket did we climb through?" She asked, looking puzzled at Sylvanas.

"A lot, most of it underground too." Sylvanas pulled out their phone, Jaina used herself and her bag to mask the light of the screen. "The sepulcher should be about 20 kilometers north-northeast of here, its going to be a long walk, but what choice do we have?"

Jaina groaned. "What choice indeed." All of a sudden her body felt very heavy. It had been a long hard day, and the realization that even after shaking their pursuers, she would still need to walk four hours through the woods at night before she could even take a train home. A voice in the back of her mind reminded her that if the strangers in black had found her once, they could do so again. She took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Are you calling the cops?" The concern in Sylvanas' voice was unmistakable.

"No, a couple of lesbians, strength in numbers and all that."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sylvanas seemed oddly disappointed in herself.

"You were busy finding us a miracle escape route."

"Well, I do work here." Sylvanas said, looking suddenly self-conscious. "I will make some calls too."

"Ye'llo?" One of Liadrin's six girlfriends picked up the phone on the fourth ring. Jaina had never bothered getting to know them all, but she was pretty sure that voice belonged to a _Bella_ of some sort.

"It's Jaina, I need to talk to Liadrin." As Liadrin's "herd" (though Liadrin despised that term) they were allowed a limited understanding of the supernatural. Specifically they knew: that Liadrin was a vampire, as that was necessary for her to consensually feed upon them; that she wasn't the only vampire in existence; and that her _work_ with Jaina and Elise had something to do with her being a vampire.

"She's uhhh, kinda busy right now."

Jaina rolled her eyes, she knew what that long _uhhh_ meant. "This is a literal matter of life and death, tell her to take her strap off and answer the phone."

There was a lot of rummaging and the sound of something metal clattering on the other end before Liadrin finally answered. "Rosie tells me we've got case?" Okay, Rosie, not Bella, same difference.

"You could say that. Me and my date just escaped a squad of assholes with automatic weapons and pointy teeth."

"Babe can you grab my machete." Liadrin said to one of her girlfriends before turning her attention back to the phone. "Where are you now?"

Elise was a lot easier to get a hold of, she had been staying up late bingeing netflix with Aranna and was just getting ready to go to bed when Jaina called. By the time Jaina had hung up, Sylvanas was also finished making her calls. "A couple of my friends are coming to pick me up at the Sepulcher, I don't want them to start running around looking for us and accidentally run into the fuckheads with automatic weapons."

Sylvanas nodded. "I don't do friends, but some of my _acquaintances_ live in the area, and they have agreed to meet us at shelter along the way."

Jaina snorted and started walking in the direction Sylvanas indicated. "I'm sure you don't." She could feel Sylvanas squinting in offense at her back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sylvanas asked, after jogging to reach her.

"Nothing, it's just a very anime bad boy thing to say."

"Is this the part where I tell you my original aesthetic icon was the Onceler."

"No! It is very much not, in fact, its never the time to tell me that the person I'm attracted to took aesthetic cues from the Onceler."

"Well it was a long time ago, but if you ask nicely I'm sure I still have the wig and green jacket lying around somewhere."

"Stop!" Jaina said, failing to stop herself from laughing.

*crack*

Both of them froze, slowly turning towards the direction of the noise.

A very bewildered deer met their gaze, then ran off into the woods. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

Jaina and Sylvanas walked in silence. After their scare with the deer, neither of them felt chatty, and as hunger and exhaustion started to set in, it only got worse.

Eventually Jaina's rumbly tummy got the better of her, and she decided that having already conjured a wall of ice, another little spell wouldn't be the thing that condemned her. "I just remembered I packed food, want to share it with me?" She said, and reached into her bag where she conjured a pair of mana buns.

"That sounds lovely."

"Thank the Tidemother for impulse preparation huh."

Sylvanas nodded and took a bite, then winced. "It tastes like snow."

"Hopefully the white kind." Jaina said and bit into her own pale pink bun. It tasted like mayonnaise, just a big mouthful of industrially made, middle of the range mayonnaise. Jaina didn't know why she had expected anything else.

The thing about manabuns was, that they weren't actually food. They would nourish you perfectly fine, and if put under a microscope they would appear to be made of food stuff, but they weren't. Manabuns were a dream of food, made to manifest in the real world, and no matter what they would always just taste kind of sad.

To Jaina, _kind of sad_ meant the specific brand of mayonnaise her parents used to buy. To Sylvanas it apparently meant snow.

It even covered her tongue the same way jarred mayonnaise did.

"Who do you suppose those people were?" Sylvanas asked.

"I don't know." That was a lie, Jaina had a numbered list of suspects in her mind. "Do you have any enemies who would want to kidnap and/or assassinate you?" No reason to let a chance to snoop pass her by.

"No one who would send men with _guns_ after me."

"I'm sorry?" Jaina was not as concerned as she let on, if anything she was excited.

Sylvanas stiffened, and squished their manabun oddly. "A joke in poor taste, my apologies."

"Its fine, its been a long night." Jaina tried not to sound disappointed.

With a little food in their bellies, Jaina and Sylvanas put their heads down and started walking. They didn't talk, barely thought, just focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

It was almost meditative, like the brain had gone on standby to conserve energy.

The terrain didn't even register to Jaina, one moment she was standing in the heart of the woods without a path in sight, the next she was walking a wide and clear roads towards a wooden shelter. How she got from point A to B was a mystery even to her, but that faucet next to the shelter was perhaps the sexiest thing she had ever seen.

A woman, probably mid 20s was waiting for them. A very tall woman, with short curly hair, scarred hands, and skin with a lightly tan undertone. As they came closer, she walked to meet them, sending Sylvanas a familiar, but apologetic smile as she did so. " _You know who_ is having a bad night, so its just me." Her accent left no doubt about her draenei heritage.

Sylvanas nodded. "I understand, I would have made the same choice under similar circumstances." Sylvanas turned to look at Jaina. "Jaina, meet my acquaintance Yrel, she/her. Yrel meet Jaina, she/her, my date for the night."

Jaina reached out her hand, Yrel shook it with impressive strength. "You'll forgive my prickliness I have had a long night." It wasn't the lack of sleep that got her, Jaina had years of practice with that, it was the walking in the woods part.

"You sure seem that way." Yrel said, her endearing honesty completely disarming Jaina. "That reminds me." Yrel walked back to the shelter and pulled out a cooler box. "Alex thought you might be hungry and wouldn't let me leave without bringing this."

Jaina had no idea who _Alex_ was, and she did not care because she was certain they were her soul mate. From inside the cooler box Yrel pulled canned sodas, a tupperware full of snickerdoodles, and a pair of ciabatta sandwiches each the length of Jaina's underarm.

Unlike Sylvanas, Jaina wasn't vegan, but Alex hadn't wanted to take the risk which put somewhat of a dampener on their marriage prospects. A dampener that was immediately nullified when Jaina tasted her chickpea salad and homemade bread. Even if she hadn't been starving, it was the best meal Jaina had, had in months; you could taste the love and care that had gone into every bite. Even that weird part of her brain that told her she needed a convex tummy or bad things™ would happen, was quiet while they ate.

Yrel made several committed attempts at getting a conversation going, and as much as her positive attitude was infectious, Jaina was too tired to care about her gig work and artisanal blacksmithing business. Sylvanas wasn't faring much better, sandwiches and soda could only get you so far when you were still trying to process getting chased by strangers with automatic weapons. Even if it was some really fucking good sandwiches.

Personally, Jaina was putting off processing it for as long as possible; at the very least until she was with Elise and Liadrin who knew the whole story. Being one of the designated adults in the Alliance, Jaina knew full well how many weapons the faction leaders had stashed away, and how many people they had under their command ready to use them. That didn't make it any less pleasant to have said weapons turned on her in full force, even if something like this had been bound to happen eventually.

Jaina was going to rain so much hellfire, both the political and literal kind, down on whoever did this on her first date in four years.

When they finally emerged from the woods behind Sepulcher station, Elise and Liadrin were waiting for them. Liadrin gave Sylvanas and Yrel each a measuring glare before letting go of the machete hidden within her jacket. Elise on the other hand was sitting with her laptop on a park bench, and took her meticulous time to finish the sentence she was typing before turning to face them.

Everyone made polite introductions then started walking towards their cars. Sylvanas promised Yrel to drive her home, and Jaina explaining the nights events to her partners in whispers. They didn't notice their party had split in two until they were standing across the parking lot awkwardly waving to each other.

Before Jaina could get into Liadrin's pickup truck however, Sylvanas half-ran to her side. "I wanted to say that, despite the setbacks, I had a lovely evening with you, and I look forward to having more."

It turned out that Jaina had underestimated, not only how much of a sap Sylvanas was, but also how into sappiness she herself was. "Yes, well lets not make a habit of it. The setbacks I mean, more dates would be lovely."

"I think so too." Sylvanas said, and gazed longingly into her eyes. Behind her, Jaina heard one of her partners cough not-so-subtly, making Sylvanas look away. Jaina moved her weight from one foot to the other, not sure what to do with herself. She watched Sylvanas pull the largely untouched tupperware of cookies out of her bag. "Alex would want you to take some for the road, but Yrel will get mad if you take more than half." She said, and smiled gently.

Jaina smiled back, and took her time picking out cookies. She was seeing an unexpected side of Sylvanas and wanted to revel in this strange domesticity. Jaina had thought Sylvanas was like her, lonely and loving it, and maybe she was to an extent, but Jaina didn't know anyone who would bring her homemade cookies and sandwiches when she got stuck in the woods. Not even Vereesa.

Their hands brushed. They both gasped, and locked eyes once more. Sylvanas placed a hand on Jaina's face. Jaina could hear her heart beating like a drum. She licked her lips, all too aware of how chapped they were. Sylvanas' lipstick had mostly been wiped away, making her lips appear more gray than the deep black they had been at the beginning of the night.

In a hoarse whisper, Sylvanas asked her. "Can I kiss you?"

Jaina wanted to say yes, wanted to scream it, but the words got lost in her throat, and all she could do was nod.

Elise handed Jaina a cup of coffee when she sat down on the passenger seat. Jaina held it in her hands, savoring the warmth, and the smell of burnt station coffee. She didn't drink it; she had too many thoughts in her head and needed sleep.

Thoughts about the attempts on her life and what that would mean for her future. Thoughts about the class she was supposed to teach Monday morning. Thoughts about her love life and what a future with Sylvanas would look like. Were they going to grow old in a cozy little cottage with 17 cats? Or would it all come crashing down dramatically in a couple of weeks when Jaina said she didn't like Xena: Warrior Princess?

At last Jaina thought about Vereesa, would she be happy to know Sylvanas had people who cared about them? or angry that they were living their life without her? Would she be happier knowing nothing at all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to ice-fairy-chiruno's black/biracial sylvanas art [1](https://ice-fairy-chiruno.tumblr.com/post/633680988702146560/the-detective-and-the-soldier-i-snuck-sylvaina) [2](https://ice-fairy-chiruno.tumblr.com/post/628087688331952128/thought-id-redraw-her-grown-up-since-i-cant) [3](https://ice-fairy-chiruno.tumblr.com/post/627997033387671553/like-lemongrass-and-sleep-baby-gay-bipoc)


	7. Arthas Menethil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After recovering from their date gone sideways, Sylvanas and Jaina at long last talk about their feelings (In this economy? I know right?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for brief discussions of rape.

* _More than 10 years ago_

Archmage Antonidas turned away from the blackboard full of complex equations and towards the assembled apprentices. "Now, can anyone tell me about Aegwynn's law of anti-certainty"

Jaina's hand shot in the air, Antonidas gestured for her to speak. "It states that magic is inherently not just uncertain, but anti-certain: the closer humanity gets to describing laws of magic, the less likely the laws are to apply. It's also called magic's one certainty."

Antonidas clapped. "Very good miss Proudmoore, someone's been reading ahead."

Jaina still remembered how much she had blushed, it was the first time anyone had called her miss Proudmoore.

Antonidas returned to his lecture: "You each found magic, or as we stuffy academics like to call it, _the Arcane_ , in your own ways. There are as many ways to harness the Arcane as there are people on this planet, if not more. I however will only teach you one. Think of it like art school, I teach you the conventions, it is up to you to challenge them."

The lecture continued for another hour with Antonidas explaining the metaphor of "dreaming" and the dangers of trying to control more magic than your mind could handle. Someone brought up the law of equivalent exchange, which launched Antonidas into a 10 minute long tangent that Jaina summarized in her notes as: "yes, but actually no".

When the lecture was over it was time for practical exercises. Jaina was paired up with a chubby girl with light brown skin and a constant sadness in her eyes who introduced herself as vereesa.

* _Present Day_

Just like all those years ago, when the exercises were over, Antonidas pulled out a box full of manabuns conjured to look like delicate Thalassian pastries. One by one the apprentices felt their excitement drain as they got their first taste of the limits of magic.

Jaina found herself wondering if that was the true purpose of the exercise, to give the new apprentices a memento mori before they left their first class.

Seeing the way Antonidas gleefully interrogated each student in turn about the flavor of their manabun made Jaina realize that it might also just be the old coots' idea of a practical joke.

Jaina had spent the last four days lazing about the Purple Parlor as a sort of protective custody while others investigated the people who so rudely interrupted her date.

The Purple Parlor was a lavish estate created several hundred years ago, back when theories of alternate dimensions were the dominant discourse in the study of magic. It existed in the periphery of human consciousness, in the space between the walls and hidden behind doors to nothingness. As such, the Purple Parlor felt no obligation to obey banalities like object permanence or spatial relationality. To get to her room Jaina had to walk through a door standing in the middle of an empty room with the back plainly visible, then climb up a ladder only to emerge sideways into her room. It took some getting used to.

In modern times of course, the very notion of alternate dimensions, which served as the very foundation of the the Purple Parlor were considered flagrantly absurd and patently untrue. By any reasonable standards, the whole place should have collapsed in on itself the moment it was created and taken a chunk of Dalaran with it. Which was exactly the reason it kept existing... because it shouldn't.

At least the place had good reception. Jaina wasn't sure how that worked but she was happy that it allowed her to keep in touch with Sylvanas. After they had both gotten some sleep and Jaina had set some wheels in motion, they had a long call talking through the events of the night. It was mostly reiterating what they had already thought about in the heat of the moment, just properly thought through with the benefit of hindsight. They didn't know why people with guns had come after them or what they wanted, but they certainly weren't going to tell the cops about what happened. Cops and queers didn't get along unless the latter made at least a quarter of a million a month. For all Jaina and Sylvanas knew the people who attacked them could be off-duty cops wanting to try out their new toys on some passing homos. Jaina was pretty sure that wasn't the case but it worked well as a cover story.

To Jaina's eternal relief, Sylvanas had been too caught up in their own fight to see Jaina conjure an ice wall, and murder someone in cold blood twice. That could otherwise have put a major dampener on their blossoming relationship.

Sylvanas for her part had handled things better than Jaina could have hoped for. She never went out after dark, sent people hourly updates with her position, and every night she had one or more friends staying over. All of which were reasonable precautions when you didn't have a pocket dimension to sit in and wait for things to sort themself out.

The council of six was the highest authority among mages in the eastern kingdoms. It was their authority Jaina was enforcing along with the Alliance's and their interests she was expected to prioritize over all others. They usually met about once a year to discuss the current political climate, the new cohort of apprentices, and other topics as necessary. The fact that an extraordinary meeting could even be called this quickly seemed downright unprecedented to Jaina.

Jaina knew better than to think this was all because they just cared so much about her. Antonidas and Modera, would be sad if she kicked the bucket, but the other four archmages? To them she was just a useful tool that could be replaced, probably by that brown noser Khadgar. If anything, archmage Kel'Thuzad would celebrate it, he had wanted someone less opinionated and more male since the day Jaina took the job.

The meeting room was a relic of the past, with sensibilities to match. A great oaken table sat in the center of the circular room with several rows of highbacked chairs looking towards it like the judgmental ghosts of previous generations. Once upon a time, or so Jaina had been told, this room would have been stuffed to the brim at all hours of the day with mages loudly arguing about anything from magical politics, to chili recipes. Back then decisions were made based on whoever felt political and could shout the loudest, a far cry from the modern approach of six old coots meeting once a blue moon and drinking coffee. About 60 years ago the former system had been deemed inefficient, and the archmages given dictatorial control. It had been a big issue at the time, but most mages nowadays just imagined that was the way things had always been.

"Light's sake Medivh will, you stop it with the pleasantries, one of our own was nearly murdered!" Modera looked about ready to beat the other archmage to death with his own tray of hors d'oeuvres

"Well excuse me for-"

"You are excused, now sit down." Modera and Medivh stared each other down for several seconds. Jaina felt a lot like she was back in Boralus watching her mom telling Tandred to take his feet off the table.

Antonidas cleared his throat from his seat at the end of the table. It was a polite, almost gentle sound, like he was genuinely sorry he had to break up their bickering. Medivh sat down, Modera took a moment to gloat then followed suit.

Antonidas waved his hand. "Vargoth, the floor is yours."

A man in his mid-50s rose from his seat. He wore a blue and pink suit that straddled the line between _gay man deliberately wearing the ugliest outfit he could find_ and _straight man thinking he's the height of fashion_. Vargoth licked his thump and began flipping through a leather notebook. "I began my investigation at the Lordaeron City trainyard on the afternoon after the attack. By the time I arrived mage Proudmoore's colleagues had already finished cleaning up the scene and destroying evidence. Fortunately, they had saved several blood samples, which after a bit of bargaining they agreed to let me use for tracking spells. I spent the next day trying the samples one at a time, eventually getting lucky with my third to last sample. The sample lead me to an apartment in Lordaeron city, inhabited by a very _brusque_ dhampir who had recently been separated from his left eye. At this point I turned the investigation over to archmage Modera."

Modera adjusted her thick, horn-rimmed glasses, and picked off where Vargoth left off without rising to speak. "When Archmage Vargoth's _apprentice_ approached me with _her_ findings, I of course dropped everything in my hands to deal with the case personally. I turned my apprentice, Julia Honeydew, invisible then instructed her to take up position on his fire-escape and wait for the suspect to open his laptop. When he eventually did so, Julia struck him with a sleeping spell, climbed into his apartment, and copied the content of his email to a separate hard disk, which apprentice Honeydew then entrusted to me."

Modera paused to dramatically reach into her purse and pull out a manilla folder. "My investigation lead me to this man: Mathias Shaw." The folder flipped open, revealing a picture of the fashionably challenged man with red hair that had stalked Jaina and Sylvanas through Dalaran. "It turns out that our _High King_ , Mr. Varian Wrynn has been quietly training and supplying a private militarized kill team." Everyone at the table politely gasped, without a hint of surprise. The treaties of the Alliance strictly limited the degree to which factions were allowed to militarize, but Jaina knew from experience that the more influential someone was, the less they followed them. "If anything," Jaina thought to herself, "they're excited to have some dirt on the Wrynn dynasty."

"Of course, I then went to interview Mr. Shaw, and of course he denied any knowledge of such an operation. After some more insistent prodding and colorful threats he became pliable enough to answer a few questions. According to Mr. Shaw, Jaina was an unforeseen variable, the intended target was her companion, whom Shaw claims to have evidence linking to the death of both Sally Whitemane and Liam Greymane."

"Poppycock." Kel'Thuzad exclaimed loudly, clattering his teacup against the table. "Sylvanas Windrunner has been covertly administered tests to identify supernatural powers. She is neither mage, vampire, werewolf, or any other known kind of known supernatural entity. I say Shaw wanted to assassinate Proudmoore and is trying to cover his tracks. Who knows, perhaps he was also the one to kill Whitemane, and Greymane as part of a Wrynn orchestrated power grab."

Antonidas raised his hand. "Let's not jump to conclusion Kel. While Shaw's explanation does seem flimsy, that is no reason to start concocting grand conspiracy theories."

"Whatever Wrynn may or may not be planning, the fact remains that he has an unsanctioned kill team and tried to use it on one of our own." Modera said, putting her purse down hard on the table.

"I agree, we need to keep our eyes on the balls, and right now we have our hands firmly wrapped around Wrynn's. The question is whether to squeeze now or polish them for later. I can barely contain myself I am so excited to see that buzzkill squirm." Medivh said, deliberately misunderstanding Modera's point.

Jaina remained quiet as the table descended into discussions about polite soirees and how best to exploit their newly discovered kompromat. Despite her expertise and proximity to the case, she was there to be seen not heard; but in her mind she was going over this new evidence with a comb.

Loathe as she was to admit it, Kel'Thuzard was likely on to something. The notion that Shaw and his men were after Sylvanas was laughable, downright insulting even. Their proximity to the Greymane case was entirely incidental, and having seen Sylvanas' in action Jaina was certain they did not possess the necessary skillset to carry out an unseen assassination within a secure compound. That being said, the train was a strange point of attack; unlike Whitemane, Jaina needed to sleep and her downtown apartment was nowhere near as secure as the Scarlet Cathedral. Why would they follow them on a wild goose chase halfway across town?

Because Shaw's people hadn't been following orders! It was all suddenly so obvious to Jaina. Shaw hadn't been spying on her, he'd been sizing up the competition. The man was a professional, he knew better than to wear a bright orange outfit to a stakeout. He had let Jaina spot him, because she was on a date and he wanted to see how she would react in stressful situations. Then Jaina and Sylvanas had outsmarted him and his goons had taken over while he tried to find a way back from Alterac. A man like Shaw, coming from mortal espionage, no doubt played the cards close to his chest. His people probably didn't know she was a mage; being dhampirs they might not have even known mages existed. And so when he told them something along the lines of: "spook her, but don't engage", they had heard it as "grab her, but let her run" not knowing she could conjure ice walls, and make their guns misfire with her mind. Then the blood had started pumping and Shaw had decided in for a penny, in for a pound.

It made sense. Given his position, Shaw and the book club were bound to come into conflict sooner or later. Were the roles reversed Jaina would have planned similar missions to build a profile. It didn't feel like a complete explanation, the connecting of Sylvanas to the Greymane and Whitemane murders seemed too out of left-field to be unmotivated, but it seemed a hell of a lot better an explanation than: Varian "Honor & Justice" Wrynn is secretly killing off random members of his opposition, or that some random park ranger would somehow be relevant in the murder of a vampire cult leader half-way across the country.

* * *

"Of course, in the real world there is no hard line dividing the midnight zone and the abyss, these are just arbitrary distinctions humans have come up with to make the world seem more logical, and we can't really expect animals to follow them at all times." Jaina smiled as she gestured to the whiteboard. She had been so excited to be back at the university, that she had invited her students to an unplanned QA session to help them prepare for the exams. It was incredible what a week of forced isolation did to a person's social needs.

The Shaw case was still being resolved, but the long and short of it was that having not been explicitly told not to, Jaina had called Liadrin about what she had learned. Liadrin had then called Elise, who had talked to Tyrande. Tyrande had then shown up uninvited at the Wrynn estate and given him a piece of her mind, which in the end had lead to Shaw meeting with Jaina in private and promising that he was extra special sorry and would never ever do it again.

The door opened. Jaina turned to look and all the students followed her gaze. In strode Sylvanas dressed like someone who'd just finished a threesome with a period actress and a militant anarchist, and grabbed half of each of their outfits on her way out. She nodded quickly to Jaina, making a few of the students giggle among themselves, before grabbing a chair at the far end of the room and pulling out her phone.

As she spoke, Jaina occasionally spotted Sylvanas glancing up at her. More than once she caught herself smiling back at them, causing new fits of giggles among her students, all of whom Jaina had to remind herself, were above the age of 20. She couldn't even stay mad at them, she tried, because she had a reputation to uphold, but every time she sent the cohort a scornful look, her eyes automatically fell on Sylvanas and her expression softened.

Jaina had never really understood what that whole love business was about. She knew her perception was warped from bad experiences, but to Jaina it just seemed like a puritan way to justify that you liked it when pretty people put their bits on your bits. Then again, seeing Kalec squint in confusion as she explained how to calculate changes in ocean currents had never made her feel anything but an intense desire to hit him with a ruler, so maybe more research was required.

After another hour or so, the questions came to an end and the students cleared out. Sylvanas came up to greet her. They stared at each other awkwardly, trying to decipher if the other was going in for a kiss, a hug, or a handshake. Jaina laughed, and Sylvanas spoke with an apologetic tone. "Sorry for being early, I hope I wasn't too great a disturbance."

"Its no worries, if anything I should apologize for inviting you to coffee then losing track of time with my students. I swear, that has never happened to me before."

Sylvanas snorted with joy. "Having listened in on their chatter, I can tell."

"Perhaps you should be apologizing then. I've spent all these years building up a tough outer shell only for you to ruin it in the span of a morning, now the students might think I have disgusting things like _empathy_ or _kindness._ "

Sylvanas broke into a dramatic pose that was all the more amplified by their frilly shirt. "Alas my lady, I have besmirched thine honor, how ever might I repent?" There was a stiffness to it, Jaina couldn't tell if it was unnatural, or just lack of practice.

Jaina tried to join in, but she had never been a drama kid. "Milord, perhaps you might accompany me to yonder office and partake in a cup of burnt cafeteria coffee?"

"It shall be my greatest honor."

Sylvanas squirmed in their chair in a way that made Jaina wish she could read minds. Now that the jokes were said and the coffee was in hand, the awkwardness between them was becoming palpable. This was the point where easy conversation should flow freely, but by the tides Jaina couldn't think of a single thing to talk about.

Well, besides the elephant in the room.

"I lied, before, when I said I always dress this nicely." Sylvanas said and took a deep breath. They sounded almost on the verge of tears. "After... what happened to me, I stopped caring about what I wore. I felt broken and hunted, and just combing my hair before work was a struggle."

Sylvanas paused to drink her coffee, two sugars and plenty of milk, Jaina was wondering if she should offer to spike it with the rum she kept in her bottom drawer next to her unsolved case files. "Then I had to go and invite you on that date and I realized: I couldn't show up in a hoodie and ketchup-stained pajamas pants."

"You totally could have if you wanted to." Jaina said, and immediately wanted to put her head through a wall for butting in.

"But I didn't want to, and that surprised me. I reciprocated your flirting because I didn't see the harm not because I... Well it sounds silly saying out loud but I didn't think love, or lust as the case might be, was a feeling I was still capable of feeling." Sylvanas paused to gather their thoughts. "I enjoy your dourness, and the much-maligned kindness it hides. More than that I like the way you look at me like you want to be ravished, but always let me lead; I like how you saw my pin and never even had to ask about my gender; I like talking about how people are the worst with you, and yes, I like the way your tits feel in my hand. The point is you awakened a hunger in me I thought I had lost forever."

"I feel like there's going to be a _but_." Jaina said, hoping her concern would be knocked aside by Sylvanas joking about how Jaina had that part handled along with the tits.

"My rapist is a powerful man. I thought I had escaped him but those people on the train... I can't bring anyone else into his crosshairs."

"I can take care of myself." Jaina grunted, more offended than she reasonably had a right to be. After all, Sylvanas didn't know what Jaina was capable of, or the people she associated with.

"I'm not saying you can't, but if his people has found me once, its only a matter of time before they do it again." Tears were streaming down Sylvanas' face and her voice was cracking. "Believe me when I say, destroying what we have is the last thing I want to do, but what choice do I have."

Jaina's pulse began to race. Sylvanas had made her feel truly happy for the first time since her dad caught her in a dress 20 years ago; Jaina could not let them leave her life as quick as they had entered it. Masquerade be damned, with all the leaks she had plugged she was allowed to put herself first once in a while. "The people who attacked us are not ghosts from your past, they are part of my present. I can't explain how I know, I'm breaking so many rules by even telling you this much, but they have been dealt with." Sylvanas looked unconvinced but attentive. "Look, I'm not a good person. I've done terrible things in the past, and odds are I will have to do more terrible things in the future. I know I'm not selling myself very well right not, but if you're going to break up with me it should at least be for the right reasons."

Was Jaina spiraling? She felt like she was spiraling.

"The fact that you're a secret agent is more a point in your favor than you give it credit for." Sylvanas remarked dryly.

"If only my work was that sexy." Jaina fired back annoyed at Sylvanas' inability to focus on what she was actually saying.

"So then what do you do to get the men in black sent after you? Secret oil drilling research? Fudging data?"

Jaina wanted to scream. "You're not getting it." Jaina double checked that the door to her office was shut before whispering. "I have killed people Sylvanas. That person who grabbed me in the train is dead; I shot them three times in the head and it didn't even emotionally register to me. You told me you used to think you couldn't feel any more, well guess what: you're not alone in that. I had gotten so used to pain I thought that was all life was, but then you come into my life and suddenly I find myself sending you lingering gazes and thinking about you before I go to sleep. Who knows if we will last? Even if we don't, I've tempted death for dumber reason than a childish notion of love."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Jaina sunk into her chair, her temper spent.

"Have you ever worked with a man named Arthas Menethil?" It didn't take a detective to figure out why that particular name was significant to Sylvanas.

"I have never even heard of him." Jaina said truthfully.

"If he ever comes your way, do you promise to run away and never look back?"

"Yes." Jaina would have preferred to hunt him for sport and stuff him in a woodchipper, but this was not the right time to suggest that.

Sylvanas stood up and took Jaina's hands in her own. "Then, if you will still have me, I will still have you."

They looked into each other's eyes. Jaina could get lost in those deep brown eyes.

And they kept looking into each other's eyes.

They maintained eye contact for what seemed like an unreasonably long amount of time and neither of them knew what to do next?

"Should we kiss? I feel like we should kiss?" In the span of a single sentence, Jaina's hands went from parched to cold and clammy. She was suddenly very aware how many of her past kisses had been in public bathrooms.

Instead of just kissing her, Sylvanas did the worst thing Jaina could imagine: they turned the question back on her! "Would you like to kiss?"

Jaina felt herself deflate. "I don't know. Isn't that what we're supposed to?"

Sylvanas chuckled "If we always did what we were supposed to, I'd still be a woman and you wouldn't have boobs."

"Point taken, but not helping. How am I supposed to know if I want to kiss you?"

"You just have to look inside, how would you feel about us kissing in this moment?"

"How would I know? We haven't done it yet!" Jaina said indignantly. After a moment's hesitation she then followed Sylvanas' advice. "I think I would feel... awkward. The moment has passed, and with all the heavy stuff we talked about it just, doesn't feel right. I'm sorry I'm so flighty, but would you be okay with just chatting for a bit." Jaina couldn't believe what she was saying, the only thing on her mind for the past week had been Sylvanas' hands and lips, and now they were within reach she turned them down? What was wrong with her?

Sylvanas slowly cradled Jaina's face in her hand. "You're not being flighty my sunlight, love is more than moments of passion, and as luck would have it I'm feeling very loquacious."

Jaina laughed. " _Loquacious_? Really?"

Sylvanas brow furrowed. "Loquacious is a perfectly good and reasonable word I'll have you know."


	8. If you're happy and you know it, it's your fault.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly one month to the day after posting last chapter here I am with another update, and to celebrate 2020-2 its just all angst, just a solid 3.6k words of Jaina being sad.
> 
> CW: Self-Harm, Dysphoria, Disordered Eating, Child Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts

Jaina looked good. She wasn't used to thinking that, but there was no way around it: her hair was freshly curled, her makeup was on point, her tuck was impeccable, and her new lingerie made her tits look fucking stellar.

Jaina's first instinct was to feel ashamed. She couldn't explain why, it just seemed like the thing you were supposed to do when you felt good about how you looked. Cause if she liked how she looked nearly naked that meant she was a pervert and – nope, not entertaining that train of thought.

Nude pictures had always felt comfortable for Jaina, more so than sex honestly. With pictures she could control what she looked like and didn't have to worry about her partner catching a glance at her jaw from a wrong angle. She wasn't a good photographer by any means, but trial and error had helped her find a few good poses that she cycled through. Occasionally she had even resent old nudes to new partners when she could tell it wasn't made to last.

Not Sylvanas though, they got tasteful nudes in brand new lingerie, bustier, garters and the works. It was what they deserved.

Just before hitting send, Jaina froze and deleted the message. Then she had to spend some time figuring out why she did that.

It wasn't dysphoria, she didn't get that from her best angle, covered in makeup and with her tits proudly in frame. It was a sort of hesitance; Sylvanas had seen her tits before, so she couldn't imagine why they would mind seeing them again. Reasonably she thought she should be worrying if Sylv would be annoyed she wasn't showing her more.

Did she have a bulge? A lot of her past partners had liked that even if Jaina hadn't so maybe she'd accidentally forgot to tug here? That would definitely be uncomfortable for Sylvanas given their past conversations – Nope, completely flat from the waistband down.

Jaina did not understand, but if her brain was going to be like that, then fine, she would just ask permission before sending.

Sylvanas (19:43) I don't mean to be rude, but I would rather you didn't.

Sylvanas (19:43) You're beautiful, positively divine, I'm just paranoid about strangers looking at my phone.

Jaina stared at the pair of texts in... confusion? was that what she was feeling? She hadn't honestly imagined Sylvanas would turn her down, and it hurt in a way it shouldn't have. She had every right not to want to see Jaina's nudes, but why wouldn't she? Was this revenge for Jaina turning down that kiss last week? Or had she completely misunderstood where their relationship was at right now?

Suddenly Jaina was spiraling like she hadn't in years. Her brain was a combo washer-dryer, and those two texts were a pair of brick slamming around inside, knocking loose bad memories and worse thoughts.

Yes her shoulders did look kinda hairy in that light.

And Tides was she ever sweaty? she probably already managed to stain her new underwear.

What had she even been trying to show with this? "Yeah babe I know we've only been semi-dating for a month at best, but I got new underwear just for you?" She was fucking lucky Sylvanas had turned down the nude or whatever came after would have sent them running.

This was fucking pathetic she was 35 years old. She should know how to pursue a relationship.

She should send Sylvanas a text just to show there were no hard feelings, change the topic into something to show she was more than her fucking libido. She could tell her about that paper she was coauthoring.

Because Sylvanas definitely cared about tracking deep sea sulfur vents.

Jaina wasn't entirely sure how she got there. One moment she was in bed awkwardly getting out of her 60 gold lingerie set and contemplating lighting it on fire; the next she was bend over the toilet bowl and stuffing two fingers down her throat. Been a long time since she did that too, but it still hit the spot. Something in the acid reflux burn did to her brain, what chamomile tea did to her sinus.

She'd tried cutting when she was a teen but it didn't really help. _Cutting is what you do when you don't have real problems so you make some up for attention._ Jaina didn't actually believe that, but she'd heard it enough to internalize it – And why would she even bother with cutting when puking was so much cleaner? No scars and if people found you, you could always blame food poisoning.

Jaina could feel her 18 year old self returning, like a ghost she had killed off so many times before. One small rejection was all it took to make the sadness drill down into her brain, pushing out tears that would never come; all the while running her hand along her chin feeling for hairs that didn't exist anymore.

Unlike when she was 18 years old however, Jaina now had her own booze cabinet, and could masturbate whenever she wanted. So she got cozy with her wand and a couple bottles of lagger. Then once she was all sadfucked-out, she lay down on her back and stared up at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come and kick out the bad feelings.

Don't think about Sylvanas.

Don't do it.

They still like you, they literally said so in the text.

But what if they were just being nice?

Then you've been talking for a month, what happened to _I'm gonna die sad and alone and I don't care about that_.

That first part is definitely being confirmed tonight.

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Jaina managed to break her fall. She started imagining how she would kill herself and it was like dunking her head in Tiragarde Sound. She knew when that happened, things were bad, Vereesa had helped her learn as much.

Jaina had promised to call Vereesa every time she got those thoughts, and she would, first thing in the morning. It was important that she did it in the morning, because that way it meant there would be a morning for Jaina to call Vereesa in. She just had to make it through the night.

She got up, drank a large glass of water, then another one, resisted the urge to go puke again and made a sandwich. Jaina didn't know what shows were popular at the moment, or for that matter what made a show _good_. It didn't really matter to her either, it was past midnight and she just needed some noise to keep her eyes and ears engaged while she fought her slow battle against the sandwich. Some whale song and a 90's screensaver would probably have done just as well.

* * *

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

For a moment Jaina thought her ringtone had even started playing in her dreams, but no such luck, it had just been drilled so thoroughly into her brain that even drunk, depressed, and worn down to the emotional bone, it could still wake her. She fumbled blindly around her nightstand, knocking over both her half empty water bottle, and her wand which she should have definitely cleaned before going to sleep, only to find her work phone silent.

*Dudududu-dudududu- dududu-du-duuuh*

Jaina squinted at the blank, old nokia in her hand wondering how it was simultaneously ringing and not. Eventually an old neuron in the very back of her mind managed to worm its way through the haze into a firing position: Right... she had two phones.

*Dudududu-dududu-*

"Hello?" Jaina said, sitting up in her bed, which immediately proved a mistake as she had to swallow a bit of vomit.

"Jaina?" Sylvanas voiced seemed oddly aroused, or maybe fearful? "Are you safe."

"Besides being woken up in the dead of night? Yeah I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Jaina was feeling a bit _perturbed_ about being prodded mid pity party.

"You weren't answering my texts and I got worried." There was a real good reason for that. Jaina had been busy having a breakdown over Sylvanas not wanting to see her tits, but that was probably not the answer she wanted to hear. "Jaina? Are you st-"

"Yes I'm still here, I'm just a little drowsy because somebody called me at 2:30 in the morning."

"Jaina we were nearly kidnapped not two weeks ago."

"And I'm not being kidnapped right now, so do you think you could get off my back?" Part of Jaina knew she was being unreasonable, a part of her buried under layers of sleep deprivation and left-over resentment.

"Sorry for caring about you?" Any trace of worry was now gone from Sylvanas' voice.

"Yes well, that sounds like a you problem."

"You want me to stop caring about you." Jaina could practically hear the frown through the receiver.

"I think that would make us both a lot happier."

"This doesn't feel like a conversation we should have over the phone. Can I come by?"

"Don't you live in the woods?"

"Only when I'm working, right now I'm sleeping on a friend's couch."

"In Lordaeron city?"

"Yes, it was last minute and I didn't want to impose."

"And yet here we are." Jaina's detective senses were tingling, but without any obvious holes in the story, she begrudgingly chose to believe it.

"Look can you just send me your address and I'll be over in 30?"

Those 30 minutes went by in a blur as Jaina scrambled to hide the evidence of her episode. It was the first time she had Sylvanas, or really anyone but a one night stand visit her apartment and she was somewhat taken aback by the amount of empty bottles that had piled up in the entryway. By the time her doorbell rang she was frantically putting on makeup after giving up halfway through cleaning her dishes.

Sylvanas of course looked effortlessly stylish as ever, with their low-waisted jeans, silk shirt, and open black coat. Jaina had half a mind to shut the door in their face until she could switch into something more lazily sexy, less sweat-stained t-shirt.

"Sorry to show up like this." Sylvanas said, looking more than a little like a cat who'd just climbed out of a river.

"No you were right, that phone call was getting us nowhere."

Sylvanas took their shoes off before entering with ritualistic slowness. "Truth be told I'm just not very at home in the internet age; texting sure, but all this social media stuff-"

"Don't do this." Jaina said, cutting them off. "You're here to have a fight, don't try to make smalltalk."

Sylvanas shook her head, whether in disbelief or annoyance Jaina couldn't tell. "Can you at least get me a drink first?"

Jaina's living room had never felt so intimidating before. Her piles of books and scrap paper seemed to loom over her with Sylvanas sitting in the middle of the couch like a monarch surrounded by her guard. Jaina steeled herself as she dragged her office chair around to face Sylvanas. They both took long sips of water, each waiting for the other to start the fight once more.

Eventually, Sylvanas broke the silence. "I think this was a mistake"

"Are you serious? Again? If you dint want to date me just fucking say it: _Hey there was a spark but its gone cause your body triggers my PTSD,_ is a pretty good reason to dump someone you've talked to for what, six weeks?" That was the second time in their brief relationship Sylvanas pulled the breakout card and it was hard for Jaina not to think she was trying to tell her something.

"If you could stop expecting the worst for 5 seconds." Sylvanas sneered.

"You're one to talk." Jaina sneered right back.

"I'm trying really fucking hard to right now, but trust me I would love to just go and never come back.

That answer hit Jaina like a sack of brick, fortunately she had a lot of experience keeping a poker face against bad news. "Piss off then."

Sylvanas remained unmoved. "It's 3am, I came all the way out here for this?"

"Fine, bed or couch?" Jaina was pretty sure at least one of them was making a mistake, but experience had taught her not to show weakness in a shouting match.

"Bed" they said, smirking with spite as they put their glass down, right next to the coaster. Jaina rolled her eyes at the childishness, but didn't say anything. That would be letting Sylvanas win.

They sat there glaring at each other for a full minute. Then another. Before finally Sylvanas cleared her throat and got up, pausing in the doorway. "No, I don't have a spare toothbrush." Jaina said, still mentally firing on all cylinders.

"I wasn't saying we should break up Proudmoore. But this:" Sylvanas gestured between them. "This isn't working."

"Care to specify." Jaina said folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't know anything about you. I've told you about my trauma, about my work, about my hobbies, and the music I listen to, hell you've even hung out with my friends; But you? I know what country you're from and that you moonlight as a lecturer, and that's it. Tits are great and all, but if we're going to make this work you need to give me something more."

"But you don't want something more from me." Jaina suddenly felt her tearducts burning, without really knowing why. Sylvanas just groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Fine, be like that." They said, and walked down the hall to Jaina bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Jaina couldn't sleep, not because of the couch, she slept there almost as often as she slept in her bed. The couch was cozy, old, itchy and smelling slightly of mold, it reminded Jaina of sleepovers with her cousin Lucille. When they were kids, the two of them had stuck together for every family dinner. Lucile was the only girl at the kid's table, and Jaina couldn't kick a football to save her life, so instead the two of them holed up in a corner, Lucile playing on Jaina's game boy, and Jaina nose deep in Lucile's mangas. Sometimes Lucile would bring along the next issue of whatever Jaina had read last, but mostly Jaina just read whatever her cousin was reading at the time and tried to fill in the blanks herself. Their friendship had been a shelter for Jaina, basically right up until the day she'd been told to pick between her dresses and her family.

Jaina wasn't sure why her mind went to Lucille of all people, or the way she had declared her an honorary girl before Jaina had even tried growing out her hair. That was a lie, she knew exactly why Lucille was showing up in her mind again: Sylvanas had started to feel like a shelter too. Not the same kind of shelter, but a person she felt safe with, whose company she enjoyed with no qualifying statements. Vereesa was a port in the storm, but she had her life in order, and Jaina couldn't help but feel like she was dragging mud all over it whenever she came to visit. Sylvanas on the other hand was every bit the noxious, self-righteous, asshole Jaina was, and that was fucking freeing.

"Fuck it." Jaina said out loud and got off the couch. Sylvanas mattered to her, and she was not going to let dysphoria take that away from her. If Sylvanas wanted trauma sharing, then they would get their tides damned trauma sharing.

_*knock knock*_

"Fuck off!" Jaina was glad to see Sylvanas took more kindly to being woken up than she did.

"I can't eat mayonnaise." _Beautiful_ Jaina thought to herself. _Fucking Stellar way of introducing your trauma._

She heard rummaging from behind the door and soon a half dressed, and all grumpy Sylvanas was glaring at her. "Beg your pardon?"

"This is me trying to talk about myself."

"Your method could use some work." Sylvanas said, trying to conceal an amused snort.

"Please save all feedback until the end of the presentation. Now where was I?"

"Mayonnaise." Sylvanas helpfully reminded her.

"Right so, did I ever tell you about my mom?"

Sylvanas' sucked in air through their teeth. "It's going to be one of those stories huh?" They said, gesturing towards the bed.

Jaina nodded and sat down. "As a kid, I loved mayonnaise, had it with everything: cheese, ham, fish, sausage, potatoes, anything. Sometimes I would even sneak into the kitchen and just eat a spoonful of it right out of the jar. Thing is, Mom is a career politician, of the socially liberal, fiscally conservative type; and she did not want children ruining her garden parties. So, me and my brothers, I have two brothers by the way, would have to stay inside the house and promise not to come down on the ground floor unless it was very important."

Sylvanas nodded. "I think I follow, military family and all."

"I didn't really mind, I spent most of my days sitting inside and reading anyways but my brothers hated it, and whenever they got bored of fifa they would steal my book and make me chase them around the house."

Jaina was suddenly back in that old, gray, house, red faced and breath staggered. Sylvanas held her hand and caressed it with their thumb. "My parents had this giant vase right by the stairwell, and Tandred kept shoulder checking it when he ran by. I tried to stop it rocking, but I was a clumsy kid so I slipped and knocked it over, smashing it and cutting up my knees. Derek carried me downstairs to the kitchen, while Tandred cleaned up the shards. I wouldn't stop crying, so to shut me up he handed me a jar of mayo and a spoon while he looked for the first aid kit."

Jaina had to pause to not get lost in the memory, she'd never fully gotten rid of the nightmares about sitting bloodied on a highchair looking out over a garden party. "Wouldn't you know it." Jaina said, choking back a tear. "That was the exact moment they ran out of rosé and someone went to the kitchen looking for more. Doesn't really fit the supermom image to have your kid sitting unattended in the kitchen eating mayo from a jar with both legs sliced to shit."

"I can imagine." Sylvanas said dryly and somehow Jaina found solace in that.

"Dad drove me to the hospital while mom tried to salvage the situation at home. I don't think he said a single word to me the entire drive back and forth from the hospital." That part was a lie, he had said exactly one thing to her after slamming the car door and turning the ignition: _I was supposed to take your brothers fishing tomorrow but now I have to clean up after you. Thanks a lot kid._

"You went quiet Jaina." Sylvanas said, gently squeezing her hand. "It's okay, you don't have to finish the story."

If she stopped now, the story would remain forever buried, Jaina knew that deep in her bones. "Mom was waiting in my room when I came home, Tandred and Derek had blamed me for breaking the vase. It felt like mom yelled at me for hours; she kept calling me a lazy pig and telling me how all that fat was clogging my arteries. I felt disgusting, like my stomach was full of poison. The more she yelled, the more anxious I got, I was sure that if I didn't get the mayo out of my system before it was all digested that I would turn into a slug. The last thing mom told me before she left was that as punishment for breaking her 2.000 gold vase I wasn't getting any dinner, but all I could think about was running to the bathroom and shoving a finger down my throat until I puked."

Jaina suddenly noticed how tense Sylvanas had become, she was sitting motionless, back straight, glaring at a spot on the wall. "How old were you?"

"10 I think, maybe 9, maybe 11."

"That's no way to raise a child."

"You're telling me? It was only after-" _Vereesa_ "- my roommate told me, 15 years later, that I found out skipping meals to punish yourself for not reaching your daily study goal wasn't a thing most people did."

Sylvanas pulled Jaina's hand up to their lips and placed a tender kiss against her knuckles. "I think you look wonderful just the way you are."

"Was this okay? Do you still want to break up with me?"

Sylvanas' brow furrowed. "I never wanted to break up with you, not really. But we need to talk about what we mean to each other, and where our relationship is headed. Otherwise we'll just be pushing this fight downriver and that's frankly too heterosexual for me."

"That makes sense." It really did, it was the right thing to do. The mature thing to, when you were two fully grown adults with full time jobs; and not a newly out trans girl desperately clinging to the first anime obsessed man-child who would give you the time of day. "Not tonight though? Right?" Jaina's voice was quivering, having told the story, the last of her energy was now rapidly leaving her body.

Sylvanas' nodded sleepily. "Definitely not tonight."


	9. You're dead, I can't see you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of all trauma sharing but this time, featuring Nathanos the teddy bear.
> 
> No content warning except for some pretty naughty language this time ;)

As much as Jaina hated the suburbs, the day after contemplating the suicide, the aggressive pleasantness of white picket fences felt oddly comforting. Even if she felt like she was being watched as she paced down the unnaturally clean sidewalks, dressed in a hoodie and convenience store jeans.

Vereesa was waiting for her in the driveway as usual, a concerned smile marring her face. "How are you?" She asked as Jaina came close, taking her hands in her own like one would a cancer patient in remission.

"I'm..." Jaina wanted to say fine. "Better, thank you. For clearing your schedule, and for always being there for me."

Vereesa squeezed her hands. "It's the least I could do, now come on in, I'm making cocoa for you and the boys."

"That sounds lovely." Jaina smiled, wondering what she had done to deserve a friend with as big a heart as Vereesa.

"Auntie Jaina! Auntie Jaina!" Giramar and Galadin flocked around Jaina's knees, babbling about video games and classmates, and other things Jaina didn't understand until Vereesa shooed them away. Jaina promised to watch them play before leaving, a promise she wasn't sure if she would fulfil. Having been made the twins' godmother was both one of the best and worst things that had ever happened to her. When things were going well, the twins made Jaina feel like she had found the family she lost in Kul Tiras, when things were going poorly, they made her feel broken inside, and like she didn't know how to love others.

"I'm sorry about the boys, I didn't tell them why you came, and I guess they hoped it was to spend time with them." As she spoke, Vereesa started frying cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and chili flakes in neutral oil. It was a recipe she had brought with her from Quel'Thalas, one last remaining piece of a broken home which she felt safe passing on to her children.

"To tell you the truth, I liked the attention. I don't think I have been there enough for them." Vereesa froze midway through measuring out milk (whole of course, skimmed milk was for supermodels and Karen at the PTA). She had a lot of things she wanted to say to that, but none she had the courage for.

"It's okay, what matters is we're there for each other when it counts."

Jaina nodded but didn't speak; not until the boys had come to get their cocoa and left once more.

"I told you I have been seeing someone."

"Oh no Jaina, not again, what did he say?"

" _They_." Jaina corrected. "And it wasn't something they said-"

"Did they hit you?" Vereesa, despite her normally tender demeanor looked completely ready to fight whoever had hurt her. Jaina wondered if that would change if she knew who her partner was.

"No no, nothing of the sort. Its more about what they didn't do?"

"Did they forget a date, because that's not something trustworthy partners do, maybe you should just move on?"

"No I-" Jaina looked around to make sure there were no kids or Rhonin lurking. "I wanted to send them a nude, but they turned me down."

"Why would they do that? If I was your girlfriend, I would always find time to look at your boobs."

"It wasn't about me, it was about boundaries. They've had some bad experiences in the past, and I was pushing the envelope. I guess that was what made me spiral, I felt like I had forced things to become sexual when they didn't want to and that made me feel predatory... and masculine. Then they called me late that night and we talked things through."

There was a flash of something Jaina couldn't quite recognize on Vereesa's face. "That... That sounds nice. Was it okay that they did that? Normally your relationships are very _bodily_."

"At first I lashed out, like I did with you back in uni, and we had a fight. But we're better for it, and with the benefit of hindsight, it was nice not having to disturb you to stop myself from spiraling for once."

"Well gee, good to know I'm replaceable." Vereesa said, swigging her cocoa with a bit too much force for it to be just a joke.

Jaina quickly reached out with a hand on Vereesa's shoulder. "´Reesa no, I could never replace you I'm sorry if that was what I made it sound like-"

Vereesa waved her away. "No it's not you, I'm sorry for making it awkward, I've just been having a lot on my plate lately."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Today was supposed to be about you though." Vereesa said it like making room for herself would be a great failure in her duty as a friend.

"Don't make me use the dorm room pact against you. _We're there for each other, even when nobody else is_. That's what we agreed."

Vereesa sighed in defeat. "I've been thinking about Sylvanas, and what to do now that I know she's alive. I'm not going to try to find her, if she wants to talk, she can come to me. Knowing she's alive however, that changes everything. Did I ever tell you how I found my magic?"

Jaina shook her head. Your first spell was rarely an empowering experience, it was more akin to getting your first period, unpleasant, confusing, and very awkward; and it was for similar reasons people rarely talked about either of those.

"It must have been a month after Sylvanas disappeared. Dad had gone for a drive to clear his head, and I was sitting alone in Sylvanas room, hoping her plushies could calm me down enough to do homework when I heard her voice. I looked around and there she was, inside the mirror, calling out to me for help and banging on the glass. I'd had nightmares about her every night since I came home from Northrend, I thought I was going insane and I just couldn't take it anymore. I put my hands on the glass and I begged her to leave, I told her: _You're dead, I can't see you_! over and over again. Ink started flowing from my fingers, covering the mirror, then the floor, everything I touched. Dad never asked what happened, we never cleaned it either, but from that day my nightmares were gone. Knowing Sylvanas is alive, I guess I expected the nightmares to return, like some sort of punishment for leaving both my sisters to die on that mountain."

Jaina pulled Vereesa into the tightest hug she could manage. "Listen here you big dummy, whatever happened to Sylvanas 12 years ago, you are not responsible for it. You went looking, search and rescue went looking, she has no right to be angry because you moved on with your life when she couldn't, and if she doesn't want to talk to you, then she's losing out on the best friend anyone could want."

Vereesa hugged her back just as tightly.

They rocked back and forth until Jaina's self-doubt set in. "Have you talked to anyone else about this? Maybe Rhonin or a therapist could give you some better advice."

Jaina felt Vereesa smiling into her hair. "Relax Jaina, you're doing great, and no, outside of Nathanos I've told no-one but you."

Jaina vaguely recalled a mangy teddy bear in a coat having taken up permanent residence in Vereesa's bedroom back in their uni days. "That's still such a weird name for a stuffed animal." Jaina said with a snort.

"Sylvanas named him, said he was her second in command, whenever she left for summer camp, she would always make a big show of putting him in my room and telling him to watch over me. It was dad's idea that I take him with me when I left for Dalaran; that way a piece of Sylvanas would always be there looking out for me."

* * *

The South Silverpine ranger station was a decently sized, if very beige, cozy house on the main road through the forest. A far cry from the wall-less wooden tower Jaina had imagined Sylvanas slept in.

The interior was a mix of practicality and homeliness. Maps and charts littered the walls like posters on a teenage bedroom, a space heater had been strategically set up opposite the shoe cabinet, and in the back was a small kitchen with a very large first aid kit. Besides the main room there were three small bedrooms, one for each ranger who worked at the station, though only two were ever on duty at a time. Then there was the supply room which had to remain locked at all times due to the presence of a shotgun. All this song and dance for two barrels loaded with 12-gauge rock salt was an unwelcome reminder to Jaina about how small a part violence played in the life of everyday people. She didn't regret the choice she had made; each one was for the greater good, every step along the road to hell paved with good intentions.

It was a surly mood she found herself in, one almost immediately removed by Sylvanas holding two mugs of steaming mulled wine. They were made in the Thalassian style, spiked with almond liqueur, a sprig of rosemary in each, and not a citrus in sight; it would be downright savory had it not been for Sylvanas' personal twist of adding a generous spoonful of honey. It was a complex flavor, very far outside Jaina's comfort zone, much like the conversation they were about to have.

Sylvanas shared the hut with two other rangers, working in a staggered order of four days on the job, two days at home. Each had made their mark on the house in their own way: An old clock here, a novelty shoehorn there, a pocketbook with a Thalassian title, a blanket lovingly embroidered with the text "women want me, fish fear me", and a spare binder that somehow had made its' way into the spice rack. It all came together to give the impression of three very different people, having politely agreed to disagree on where things went, to avoid bloodshed.

Sylvanas' current partner Kalira had volunteered to go for a long walk to "check on the forest" when she sensed the tension in the air. Leaving Sylvanas and Jaina with no choice but to talk to each other.

Jaina rocked back and forth on the spot, making the wooden chair she sat on creak dangerously. "How do we start this conversation?"

"Maybe... From the top? What do we want out of this relationship?" Sylvanas said, feeling increasingly uncertain with every word.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Why? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Because..." Jaina took a deep breath, if she said this, there was no going back. "What I want is sex. You're a great friend and I like talking to you, however the fact of the matter is: I'm not a forever kind of girl but I think we could make good friends with benefit."

Sylvanas laughed, and while they did it, they seemed to grow bigger in their chair, as if releasing a tension Jaina hadn't noticed they were holding. "This is a relief, truly! I have been tearing myself apart trying to act the perfect gentleman when all I really wanted was to suck on your tits."

Jaina blushed and began toying with the hem of her shirt. "No time like the present."

Sylvanas grip on her cup tightened as she struggled to keep her eyes fixated on Jaina's face. "Should we, uh, perhaps finish this conversation first?"

"Right." Jaina let go of her shirt, but before she could feel embarrassed Sylvanas squeezed her thigh in a way that was both comforting and arousing.

"Rest assured, I will not let you leave my home with your tits un-sucked."

"Are you trying to be a gentleman again?"

Sylvanas shook their head. "I like being a gentleman, helps me feel better about my gender. The problem was trying too hard, rather than asking what you wanted, that was what wore me out."

"I had no idea." It was moments like these which made Jaina remember just what a shitty girlfriend she would make. It had never even occurred to her that Sylvanas might be putting on even more of a performance than she was, or how that might affect them.

"I tend to keep my feelings on the inside."

"Just one more thing we have in common." Jaina said smiling, a mostly sincere smile.

They paused to drink their mulled wine, both savoring the relaxing flavors as their relationship returned to familiar waters. There was an insidious voice in the back of Jaina's head that told her this was not at all what she wanted, that happiness requires Sylvanas to propose to her on the spot. Jaina decided it was the same voice that told her she should try to repair things with her mom and could therefore safely be ignored.

"Would you be ready to move the conversation to the topic of sexual comfort? I don't want to rush but Kalira can only walk so much and I did make you a promise."

"Sure, let me grab my tablet." Noticing Sylvanas arched brow Jaina explained "To take notes." Unlike relationship talks, Jaina had gone through more bedroom safety and comfort conversations than she could; and yet she was still excited by the prospect. It combined her two main hobbies: sex, and note-taking.

Once Jaina had sat back down Sylvanas cleared their throat, more so to indicate the conversation had started properly than anything else. "This is perhaps obvious but because of my trauma I can't touch your dick. It might change in the future but I'm a slow healer."

"Of course, of course." Jaina said, nodding a little too vigorously to make sure Sylvanas understood this was not a dealbreaker. "Truth be told, I always had an easier time cuming from anal stimulation anyways."

Sylvanas smirked. "I'll look forward to seeing that first hand."

"I'm both a switch and a verse, but performing penetration is a hard limit for me. Using my dick is obviously out of the question but even just wearing a strapon makes me dysphoric."

"That's perfectly fine, having things put inside me is a hard limit for me as well."

"What about being eaten out?"

"So long as your tongue doesn't dip inside, it's fine. Though I am quite the top, no matter if I'm subbing or domming."

"Seems I have to practice my pillow princess act." Jaina said, tapping happily away on her tablet. "I don't mind a bit of pain play, but anything meant to actually hurt me is a hard limit."

"Can I pour fake cum over you?"

"By the Tides yes!"

They both blushed, realizing just how excited they had both become at that prospect, then laughed out loud.

"Well then, I'll make sure to stock up for when next we meet." Sylvanas said looking Jaina up and down, trying to imagine her after such a scene. "Back to the topic at hand: I haven't tried anything with restraints in ages, but I would like to, either as giver or receiver. I expect it might help me process my trauma, just be aware it would have to happen slowly."

"I can't tie knots to save my life, other than that I'm always happy to restrain or be restrained."

Sylvanas smirked "Good thing you know a ranger who can give you some pointers then."

"Speaking of which, I usually enjoy when my partners get forceful with me, but I fully understand if that's not something you're comfortable with."

"I need you to be enthusiastically enjoying it; so long as that's the case, I am more than ready to get rough with you."

"By all means, I try not to kinkshame but consent play is one of my hardest limits."

Sylvanas paused for a moment, not uncomfortable with what they were about to say, just trying to find the best way of putting it. "How about roleplay? I'm not fond of admitting it, but I do have a flair for theatrics."

"I haven't tried it before, and I'm sorry to say my acting skills are sub par at best, but besides that it sounds like fun."

"I'm sure you're a fast learner."

Jaina laughed to conceal how giddy the idea of roleplay was making her. "Should I look into getting some polyhedral die while we're at it."

Sylvanas laughed back at her. "Let's save that for the more advanced lessons."

"Can I admit an embarrassing kink to you too? I like it when my partner calls me mommy because, well... I have mommy issues." Jaina suddenly found herself blushing, usually she came across a lot more assertive when telling partners to call her mommy.

Sylvanas gave her a long appraising glance before solemnly declaring. "Yes, I could certainly call you mommy, and for the record: you're not the only one with those kinds of issues."

They kept chatting for a long time, gradually moving from sharing dos and donts, to planning future scenes they wanted to play out together. Eventually Sylvanas started sending wistful glances at Jaina's chest.

Taking the hint Jaina stood up and said: "Shall we continue this in your bed?" Then without waiting for a response she began walking, making sure to put extra sway in her hips as she did. Sylvanas caught up to her when she reached the door, and like a true gentleman they opened it for her while resting their free hand on Jaina's ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some day the plot will return from the war, in the mean time: 
> 
> One of my mutuals recently made me aware that its usually frowned upon to theorize about people's fics in the comments, and while I totally understand why many authors dislike that, I just wanna say: I absolutely live for hearing what people think all my weird ass clues and foreshadowing mean.


	10. Lesbian Husband of Indeterminate Gender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I may have written Sylvanas as a bit more violent than originally planned for due to recent developments in Shadowlands(tm)
> 
> CW: For violence, gore, misogyny, homophobia, references to conversion therapy and just general religious bigotry.

Life had not been easy for Thalnos since the high inquisitor was taken from them. He, Mograine, and a few other faithful were trying to keep the crusade whole, but with no one suited to step up and take Sally's place, the order seemed doomed to a slow death.

The initiates felt it worst of all, without Whitemane's guiding light to lead them, many of them now talked about returning to the unholy families they had left behind. More than once security had to forcibly restrain initiates trying to leave the monastery, it was a cruel but necessary measure to safeguard them from a life of whoredom, abortion and homosexuality.

So much had it worn on Thalnos soul, he had seen no other option but to retreat to his beachside estate and recuperate. It would do him no good if he were to look haggard the next time some journalist came asking uncomfortable questions.

The sun was just setting and Thalnos was enjoying the sight from his terrace with a glass of aged bourbon. He got up slowly, making sure to bring both his book and his bourbon with him as he started making his way to the panic room. "Probably one of the maids forgot her phone again." He thought to himself. The newest maid was especially troublesome, it seemed like every other night she would forget something vital and sneak back in to fetch it, giving poor Durand quite the heart attack.

Durand was a good man, had served his country in war and now served the Light through the Scarlet Crusade. In the wake of Whitemane's death he had been assigned as Thalnos’ bodyguard, a job he took at times infuriatingly seriously. Had it not been for the threat of being scolded by a man half his age, Thalnos would not have even bothered leaving his chair for another hour, alarm or not.

The first sign that something was wrong came as Thalnos entered the estate through the dining hall door. He was expecting to hear Durand roaring and ranting about _correct security procedures_ , or find him waving at shadows with that mallet he called a flashlight.

But there was nothing, not in the dining hall, not in the gallery and not in the drawing room.

He started to hasten his steps, hoping that perhaps this was all just some exercise Durand had come up with to test how well Thalnos remembered his safety protocols.

He'd made it safely through the west hallway, now he just had to make it across the main hall, up the stairs, and into his bedroom; then press the hidden button for the panic room. His salvation was within reach.

In the main hall he discovered why Durand had not come looking for him. There in the middle of the floor, staining the marble red from a deep gash in his neck, lay the body of a devout servant of the Light and decorated combat veteran. Lifeless.

Before he could call out in panic, he felt something impact the side of his head. The world turned black and his body turned weightless as he fell sideways to the ground.

"I found him, he's in here!" When Thalnos came to his senses, a woman in a balaclava was towering over him, a sledgehammer in one hand, a pair of heavy duty zip ties in the other.

With the focus of a man fearing for his life, Thalnos reached out for what little magic the High Inquisitor had taught him, and conjured a wave of force, sending his attacker flying through the glass door and into the pool with a loud splash.

Thalnos ran as fast as his ailing legs and advanced age could carry him. His head was pounding where he had been struck and he could feel blood pouring down his face.

The wooden floor echoed like the drumbeat of a wild hunt. The bedroom was in sight!

10 more steps.

9.

8!

There was a crackle like the sound of thunder, then a searing pain through Thalnos' Achilles tendon. He fell forward, gliding across the polished floor. Salvation was so near, he could almost reach the doorframe, but the pain was so bad, he could think of nothing else.

Whisps of purple smoke started floating across the floor and into Thalnos field of vision. Slowly they coalesced into a pair of heavy leather boots, then a pair of black cargo pants attached to them and eventually an entire person.

Thalnos tried to push through the pain to find his magic once more despite the concussion and pain in his foot. It was like building a castle from molten sugar with his bare hands, painful, yet doable.

The person in black kicked him in the chest, breaking his concentration and knocking him on to his back. They pointed a rifle at his neck and said with a voice like ice. "One chance, talk and I won't get _unpleasant_."

"Okay. Tell me what you want to know." Thalnos gasped, trying to buy time as he gathered fire in his hand.

"Whitemane was doing research into the Stratholme incident. What did she find?" His attacker said and leant in close for emphasis. He had to push to keep from laughing, that was a mistake, it meant his spell had to travel shorter.

"She found that-" Thalnos faked a coughing fit.

"Answer me!" He nearly lost the spell again as the attacker knocked him against the floorboards in anger.

"The Light protects!" He screamed, blasting an arch of searing light out from his hand. His attacker fell backwards, smoke enveloping them as they howled in pain.

Pushing through the pain, he dragged himself across the floor. Every second was precious, but he was so slow.

"No you don't." A new, harsh voice roared behind him, then a heavy hand hoisted him off the floor.

The last of his magic spent and pain beating inside his skull like a war drum, Thalnos was powerless to prevent himself from being carried like a sack of potatoes through his house.

He looked at the third intruder, hoping to commit her features to memory so that if he survived, he could point them out to the police. Her face too was covered by a balaclava, but he could just barely make out hints of russet brown skin, and were those tusks sticking out of her mouth? Before he could contemplate her abnormal teeth growth, he was thrown on to his dining table.

The woman with the sledgehammer came into view and zip-tied his arms and legs to the table. The light was turned on, and now that he could see her more clearly, he realized she had sky-blue skin, and a pair of goat's horns sticking out the back of her balaclava. The pain must have been causing him to hallucinate, there was no other answer.

Finally the person who had shot him entered the room, her balaclava burnt away, and her rifle discarded in favor of some other large object Thalnos couldn't make out. To his adrenaline-addled mind, it looked like she had long pointed ears, the greying, transparent skin of a ghost, blood-red eyes that dripped a black ichor down her face, and a trail of purple smoke flowing behind her like a cape.

Thalnos heard a loud electrical whirr. "No no. Please Light no!" Thalnos sobbed as the buzzsaw the red-eyed intruder had been carrying came into view and whirred into action.

"I told you this would happen." She said, running her tongue across her fangs in excitement.

"I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll- aarrgh!" The buzzsaw cut through flesh and bone with ease, splattering blood and gristle across the far end of the kitchen.

"You will now." The intruder said, winding down the saw. "And quickly, before I lose my patience."

Thalnos couldn't hear or see anything, there was just the rushing of his blood and the ceaseless pain where his right arm used to be.

The goat-horned woman put a hand on his chest, and a flash of light stopped the bleeding. Then the banshee spoke again. "I've got all night, and you've got four more limbs, so I ask again: What did Whitemane discover about the Stratholme incident?"

Thalnos strained his mind trying to recall the details of one out of the hundreds of legally grey projects he had overseen for Whitemane. The whirring of the buzzsaw finally jogged his memory. "There was no gas leak, it was a controlled demolition to hide Menethil's dirty laundry!"

"I could have read that off conspiracy facebook, you must have found something more."

"I don't-" The buzzsaw whirred again. "Ruins! The lab was located inside an underground ruin."

"Keep talking."

"We thought it was just a hiding place of convenience. W-we didn't think anything of them."

The leader grabbed Thalnos by the hair, forcing him to look into her searing red eyes. "Well. I. Do."

"It was uh, old, early industrialization I think? And uh... There was an inscription, something about _the sacrifice of the many for the safety of the future_ and ah, ah-an iron gate! Please that's all I remember, just stop this torture."

The buzzsaw came to life, tears streamed down Thalnos face as he begged for his life. "Please, please, please you have to believe me, I don't know anything else."

The leader smiled at Thalnos, revealing her sharp fangs. "I believe you, and now I'm ending this torture. Like you asked."

The last thing Thalnos felt was a mechanized blade carving through his neck.

* * *

It was rare that Jaina came home from a long day of work feeling giddy, but with days like this how could she not? She put on music as she changed from her work clothes into a cute polka dot dress in preparation for the night still to come. In between hair and makeup she even found time to wash the blood and guts off her boots. Clearly the Tidemother was happy with her today.

When the day had started with Jaina getting her paper back from peer review with minimal notes, only to be called away to a double homicide, she had expected the worst. But when the victims turned out to be a pair of Whitemane's (may she rest in piss) goons, the day seemed to clear immediately. The book club had expected someone within the Scarlet Crusade to make a play for the throne, and the first shot really couldn't have hit a nicer guy than the man in charge of the church's hush money.

They would still need to make an example of whoever had done it, just so that other factions within the alliance didn't start getting ideas.

To Jaina's great professional joy, the killers had done an admirable job of cleaning up after themselves. The cameras had all been smashed, the tapes all stolen, whatever signs of struggle there might have been, was obfuscated by deliberate destruction, and despite the primary victim's sorry state, there was not a fingerprint to be found. It was Jaina's favorite kind of case, hard to crack and yet essentially victimless. Actually it was better than victimless: Elise had broken into Thalnos’ vault and told the maids who'd found his body to take as much as they could carry. So not only had there not been any _real_ victims, but the double homicide had also helped lift three working class women out of poverty.

And to finish off the night, Jaina was about to have a lot of very kinky sex with her friend with benefits who had even promised to wear a suit.

Sometimes life was good.

"Honey I'm home." It was said in such a stereotypically 50s manner, Jaina was already struggling not to break character the moment Sylvanas came through her doors.

"Dinner's almost ready handsome." Jaina's tiny, two burner kitchen, with its countertop oven was not exactly the kind of domestic paradise this fantasy really called for. It could heat up a store-bought vegan lasagna though, and that was really all they needed.

Sylvanas wrapped their arms around Jaina and pressed a kiss against Jaina's cheek that made them turn red. As promised, they were wearing a navy-blue suit, with a pale blue shirt and deep red tie beneath. Not Sylvanas usual style but after trying four different second-hand stores this was the one that fit her best.

"I might just have a snack while I wait." They said, and smiled at Jaina in a way that practically screamed: _I'm up to no good_.

"Tell me what you want hubby and I'll whip it right up for you."

"I know you would, cause you're such a good wife. But for now." Sylvanas gave Jaina's ass a smack that echoed through the apartment. "Why don't you turn around and present that supreme derriere to your husband."

Jaina did as instructed, but couldn't help chuckling as Sylvanas got on her knees and hiked up Jaina's dress. "What?" She said, clearly annoyed at being interrupted before her snack.

"It's just that no straight man would ever go down on his wife without the promise of something in return."

"Lucky for you, I'm not a straight man." Sylvanas snorted. "I'm your lesbian husband of indeterminate gender. Now be a good wife and drop your panties."

How they got from standing fully clothed in the kitchen, to lying naked, wrapped in a blanket on the living room floor neither of them could say. They just knew they were sticky, tired, and very love drunk.

"Copper for your thoughts." Sylvanas said with a big adoring smile they didn't realize they were wearing.

"I know I don't have ovaries, your dick is plastic, and that you can't get pregnant from anal sex... But I'm pretty sure you just knocked me up."

"Are you sure I didn't choke you too hard? Sounds like you aren't getting enough oxygen to your brain."

"Nah I'm just need some time to put it back in place after you fucked it out."

They both laughed, Jaina letting herself melt into Sylvanas' arms before asking. "So what are you thinking about right now?"

Sylvanas shrugged. "That I kind of want to watch the fireplace channel."

"Are you sure I didn't sit on your face too hard? Sounds like you aren't getting enough oxygen to your brain."

"No, I think it would be cozy."

"Well I'm not leaving this blanket so neither are you." Jaina said and demonstratively wrapped her arms around Sylvanas.

They cuddled for a while, not speaking, just soaking in the afterglow and each other's presence. Suddenly Sylvanas sat up in alarm. "Jaina do you smell something burning?"

Thinking this was setup for another of Sylvanas come-ons, Jaina decided to get ahead of her. "Only my love for you."

"No Jaina there's smoke coming out of the kitchen."

Jaina and Sylvanas looked at each other and yelled in unison: "The lasagna!" before leaping out of the blanket and sprinting butt naked into the kitchen.

By the time they got to it, the lasagna was a hunk of charcoal so far beyond saving it wasn't even worth trying. To Jaina's eternal embarrassment the only other things she had in her fridge was a handful of potatoes, an egg, and two slices of bacon; a decent breakfast for one person, not exactly a dinner for two, one of whom was vegan.

In the very back of Jaina's cupboard they found a nearly expired bag of oats, and with the help of some trailmix and fresh fruit Sylvanas apparently just always carried with her, they made a pretty decent porridge. Having thrown out the lasagna and opened the windows to get rid of the stench of ash, they retreated to the bedroom, the furthest room from the kitchen, and ate under the blankets.

"About that pregnancy thing... Is that something you have thought about?" Sylvanas said while Jaina was busily fishing through her porridge for chocolate chips.

"You mean as a sex thing or as a _having children_ thing?"

"The latter." Sylvanas was trying to make it sound casual, but Jaina could tell there was something more to it.

Jaina had thought about that a lot, and with how lovely the day had been, she was in no mood to think about it anymore. "Tides are you going to ask me when I will get married next?"

"I ask because your words made me wonder. A straight person my age is supposed to be enrolling their 2,3 kids in school and taking them picnicking on the weekend; instead I spent my weekends yelling at straight families for not picking up their litter... I don't miss having periods and I would never want to get pregnant, I just wonder if my desire for children comes from wanting what I can't have: The ability to get my partner pregnant, or if it's because I miss the family that no longer cares for me."

Jaina paused for a long time, mulling over Sylvanas words in her head. "The truth is I can't imagine myself ever having children. I don't think I would be a very good mom, but I guess I don't know for certain. The idea of raising children is so anathema to the kind of life I live. I could barely feed an adult guest one night, imagine having to feed a child three times a day every day."

"I definitely had a hand in the night ending the way it did, don't blame yourself for that." Sylvanas said with a sly smile, giving Jaina a way out of the topic of children if she wanted it.

"I'll try not to. The point still stands: I work long irregular hours, I can't cook to save my life, my hobbies are kinky sex and scientific journals, I live in a one-bedroom apartment I can barely afford, and I don't have a driver's license so how would I take them picnicking?"

"You seem to have a much more pragmatic view of this than me."

"I'm sorry, I know I can be depressing company."

"Not at all, I appreciate it. I tend to romanticize having children as being an endless parade of building treehouses and cooking Saturday dinners together. It's good to be reminded there will also be fights, and doctors who'll want to talk to the child's father, and Sun forbid they might even turn out to be straight!"

Jaina snorted. "Honestly if that happened, I think I would just throw them in the ocean and start over. I wouldn't want that kind of unhealthy lifestyle in my home."

"That's too extreme, I'd just send them to therapy camp you know? Spend some time isolated from their friends praying the straight away." They both laughed, the death of Sally Whitemane had been celebrated in queer communities throughout Lordaeron as the final blow to any attempts at legalized conversion therapy.

There was a long pregnant pause as they worked to finish their porridge before it could solidify. Each of them was waiting for the other to say the final words before going to sleep.

Without exchanging words, Jaina picked up their empty bowls and put them in the sink while Sylvanas went to brush their teeth. Neither of them spoke when Jaina went to join them, nor as they climbed into bed, searching for a comfortable position to cuddle.

It was only when they were both halfway asleep that Jaina finally opened her mouth to speak. "I think about children the way I do periods: I think the only reason I want them, is because society tells me I should have them. If I could just snap my fingers and go back to the way things were, I might want to try it out, but since I can't, I'll just have to learn to live with the way things are."

Sylvanas met her gaze, a strange intentionality glowing in her eyes. "Perhaps you'll dream about that life while we sleep, or would that be a nightmare?"

Jaina shrugged "Wouldn't know unless It happened, and while I'm wishing on a star, perhaps I can dream about a world where my mom doesn't hate my guts."

"We can only hope." Sylvanas said, brushing a stray hair out of Jaina's face as they began humming a Thalassian lullaby. Jaina let herself fall into Sylvanas' arms, feeling sleep slowly surround and overtake her like a heated blanket made of stars.

* * *

"Careful now that knife is sharp."

"Mom!" Jaina laughed and feigned annoyance. "I am a grown woman, I'm sure I can chop carrots without you looking out for me."

Katherine pulled her into a sideways hug and smiled. "I know Jaina, I just worry you know, those little gremlins will kick when you least expect it."

Jaina wiped away a tear, her mom had only ever said her name in a mocking voice, and that was how she knew it was a dream. In hindsight the baby bump Jaina was suddenly sporting was kind of a giveaway.

The kitchen looked simultaneously the same and so much brighter than when Jaina had left it, which might stem from her father's picture on the wall having been replaced with a photo from Jaina and Sylvanas' wedding. From the dining room, Jaina could hear Sylvanas, Derek and Vereesa lightly bickering about what color napkins to put on the table, while outside in the yard the twins were engaged in a merciless wrestling match with their uncle Tandred the sea monster.

Moments later, Sylvanas came to join Jaina and Katherine in the kitchen. They talked at length about alcohol and spices, and how happy Katherine was to have her daughter back in the family; then they chatted about Sylvanas' and Jaina daughter, what sort of school she would go to, and how often grandma could come to visit. Sylvanas and Jaina had a lot of fun teasing her mom by saying they would name their daughter Hemlock.

Dinner was ready in a blur, and they all sat down to eat as one happy family.

Then there was silence.

Deafening silence, not a word was spoken, only the constant jarring clattering of metal against porcelain.

"The weather has been very nice of late." Vereesa cautiously said into the empty air.

Jaina grunted in agreement then the silence.

The main course was served, plates clattered, quiche was cut, glasses sloshed as they were filled with the wine from overpriced ancient bottles.

"Oil prices has been crazy of late don't you agree?" Derek told Sylvanas, as if that was anything they would have an opinion on.

"Why don't I put on some music huh? Meanwhile, girls would you mind bringing in the dessert?" Katherine said, and gestured to Vereessa and _Sylvanas_. Jaina stood up as if her mom had gestured to her instead of her partner. Sylvanas however was not far behind her, clearly uncomfortable with everything happening.

The infuriatingly heterosexual sounds of _The Beatles_ began filling the house. Jaina stuck her entire head in the fridge to find shelter while she looked for dessert and tried to think of a polite way to ask her mom to play literally anything else.

"I don't want this." She thought to herself, and the light in the fridge flickered.

"Jaco- I mean, Jaina, why are _you_ out here?" Suddenly Katherine appeared in the kitchen, her voice just a little bit closer to what Jaina remembered it being. Deciding she'd had enough of this dream, Jaina pinched her arm as hard as she could, and the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Sylvanas yelled and practically leapt from the sink to the front door.

"Sorry I'm late." The frozen corpse of Alleria greeted Sylvanas, smiling so the skin on her frozen face cracked and started to bleed.

Jaina and Sylvanas woke up simultaneously, sitting straight up in bed and looking around in confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who spilled all this plot thickener everywhere?

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on tumblr @ [offbrand-valk](https://offbrand-valk.tumblr.com/)


End file.
